Dear Haley
by Bob the Robot
Summary: Haley is a daughter of high society, but she's always yearned for more. When a strange and extraordinary person unexpectedly falls into her backyard, she finds that there's more to life than what she has been taught. Heroes OC.
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1**

* * *

"Haley, sit up straight."

"Haley, young women _do not_ slurp their drinks."

"Haley, take your elbows off the table top."

"Haley, use your manners."

Haley slammed the door to her bedroom. She needed to get away from her parents. She needed to get away from their voices. It seemed like every day they had something else to criticize her about. Always teaching her how to be a lady. Always differentiating how every other girl in their community was different than any other girl in the rest of the world. She was fortunate to have so much when other people did not.

She didn't complain. She couldn't complain.

Her parents' words were law and she had to follow it without a murmur.

Living in high society was harder than it looked.

The petite and tired body flopped onto the bed. The throw pillows bounced up, falling off the edges of her place of rest in a slow decent. Starting off high above the sheets and blankets, the soft comforting squares drifted down to the ground, where they would collect dirt if the floor had not been cleaned the hour before. They were plain. And simple. Yet it caught the eye. As if there was an elegant quality beneath the surface that was slightly visible.

Haley bent over the edge of her bed and playfully fingered the corners.

She needed to get her mind off of everything.

When she tried her best to think of something better, something that could take her mind off of the anxiety of the day, the one thing that she thought about was her grandfather. He was a strong man in his youth. Courage to do what he wanted. Character to say what he meant. And _she_ was his favorite. She loved her grandpa. Simple words that meant so much. And he lived a good life.

Often times, Haley found herself thinking about life.

When everything else seemed so simple, her life seemed to be full of complex equations and unanswered enigmas. She had to be proper. She had to eat with five forks. Treat elderly with respect. Be honorable to authority figures. The only question that plagued her was why. The truth wasn't the problem. The answer wasn't important. _She just wanted more_. Life had to be more than learning perfect technique in a ballroom. It had to be more than nodding politely when the governor came over for dinner.

She turned onto her back, facing the ceiling of her room. It was sky blue. Her favorite color. Her grandfather painted the ceiling for her when she was two years old. It was his last gift to her. It represented freedom. The ability to do whatever she wanted. Oh, what it would be like to soar in the skies as freely as the birds did. Haley yearned for it. Dreamed of it. To an infant, a brilliant bright blue ceiling to look up at meant a wish. She used to sit beneath her sky and close her eyes, wishing for whatever she wanted.

But wishes don't come true.

_They're only wishes._

Expensive light fixtures hung oddly over her head beneath the twirling wooden blades of the fan. Whenever the bulbs blew out or the fan broke it was be replaced with something new. Something modern. Just like everything else in the bedroom. But not the ceiling. Her ceiling had been sky blue since she was two years old. It was practically the only thing in her room that had stayed the same.

The desk in the corner had been moved at least three times before it wound up where it was. Old and conventional. Dusty tabletop. Papers neatly stacked in the paper tray. An empty pencil cup. Stationery equipment in the first drawer. Coloring utensils in the second. More paper in the third. She hardly ever drew anymore. Letters were obsolete. She didn't have any time to do any of that anyway. Too tired to draw. Too busy to be creative.

Just above the desk was a bay window. Moonlight streamed in through the skinny white curtains, placed parallel to each other, casting barred shadows across her bed. The bars overlapped her body and imprisoned her. She grabbed at the edges of her mattress, tempting the length at which she could stretch. It ended the same way.

Her bed was crisp and flat. Large enough to encompass her entire body and still have room on the sides for her hands and feet to reach out as far as she could without touching the edges. White sheets. White blanket. And twelve throw pillows. Two she actually used when she went to sleep every night. The other ten went into the hollow bench underneath the window. She touched the bedpost with her feet, running the soles of her shoes up and down its side. It was sleek. Cold. Uninteresting.

A guitar sat on the stand. It was her grandfather's. It stared longingly at her, wishing to be held. Haley played it on occasion. But whenever she felt the need to let out emotion or play just play a song she was interrupted by a call from her parents to learn something else about proper etiquette, much to the disappointed sigh of the guitar.

Her eyelids slowly began to fall across the white around her pupils. Another day had gone. And another day would begin. Exactly the same way it was the day before. And the day before it. She took a deep breath. Too tired to turn off the light, Haley pushed her hands underneath her pillows and pressed her cheek against its comfort, allowing the evening to take control of her body for slumber.

* * *

Haley walked down the halls of the private school. Ready for another day of education. Her hair was shoulder length. Parted a little on one side with a few loose locks of hair that fell across her face. The dark brown strings of her head weaved perfectly underneath a cap given to her by her grandfather.

She grabbed at the strap of her bag, adjusting it over her shoulder as a few boys ran past her. The grey school jacket held tightly against the ironed button up shirt. The school's seal stitched neatly on the left side of the breast. A swaying skirt hung above the knees.

Haley discreetly looked out from behind fallen bangs at the other students in the hallway. She had a few acquaintances in a few of her classes, but she always dreaded the morning walk. Haley didn't really have friends to hang out with before school started. Friends are people who can be trusted and nobody ever gave her a reason to trust them.

Every student was waiting for their classrooms to open and she had to walk up two flights of steps and down four halls to get to hers. She felt so exposed walking alone. Without anybody to talk to. Without anybody to just be with while every other student stared when she walked by.

They were all thinking the same thing. And she knew it. They were thinking about her. They were thinking nasty thoughts about how she was dressed, or how she was one of the richer kids at the private school. Haley never asked to be labeled as such, but it happened anyway. She actually never heard anybody say these things to her but she knew. She knew they were thinking it. She looked underneath her hair and she could tell.

Haley walked alone through the halls of her private school. Sometimes she asked the driver to purposely drop her off late so that she would not have to endure through the Walk of Horror. Of course, the driver would not comply with such a request.

_Ladies are punctual wherever they may go_.

It wasn't proper to be late to class, so she would not be.

A snickering laugh to her left. An off glance to her right. All of the students seemed to be watching her and inspecting everything she did. Every morning she walked down the halls listening to the girls whisper and the boys laugh. Her face stung with discomfiture.

She couldn't do anything about it. It was the way things were.

Haley got to the first step of the second flight of stairs. She misjudged where the step was and tripped. Immediately she looked up, searching the faces of the students around her.

Did they see her fall?

Were they talking about her?

Blood rushed to her face. Her cheeks turned a slight hue of pink. Her heart started pumping. A strong empty feeling punched her in the stomach. Quickly she picked herself up and rushed up the eleven odd steps to the next floor.

Haley brushed passed the bodies that occupied the small path leading to her class. She felt like everyone was watching her again. They couldn't have possibly seen her fall, but she was so embarrassed that it didn't matter.

She was on the brink of tears.

The bathroom was empty. The first good thing of the morning. Twisting the knobs of the sink, water fell onto her skin. The liquid settled in her palms. It was cold. She splashed her face with the cold water. A deep breath. Haley looked at her reflection. A sad painting of a crying girl. The mirror was slightly smeared by the hand of a previous young person, but she saw herself through the imperfection. Her eyes were glossy. Salty tears crawling down her cheek. Her lip quivered. She shook her head and stuck her hands underneath the faucet again, splattered the cool substance across her eyes.

She took a deep breath.

And looked at herself in the mirror once again.

Haley grabbed a paper towel, gently moving it underneath her eyes and across her cheeks. She sniffed. Took a deep breath. And looked into her reflection. It was just another day. Another day of school. She got through it yesterday and the day before that. She could get through it again.

She had to.

Her head jerked away from the image on the glass as the bell rang. School would officially start in five minutes.

Glancing at the mirror she wiped any sign of tears and left. The classroom was two doors down on the left, not too far away, but once again it was empty. She was the first one there. Even more embarrassing. Haley quietly took her seat, placed her bag down and remained there until the class was filled with students. Head forward. Eyes straight.

"Did you do last night's assignment?" Thomas asked.

She turned to her classmate. His smile caught her off guard. "I did."

"Can I borrow it?"

"Uh… sure."

"Thanks, you're a life saver."

She opened her bag and handed him the paper to which he gratefully took and began to copy. Haley sighed. It seemed like she was the only person who did her work. And her grades were hard to keep up. Thomas, one of the biggest slackers in the class, never did his homework, never studied but somehow managed to get good grades. But Haley could never deny him an opportunity to at least talk to her. Lord knows she was too insecure to initiate it herself.

Haley watched him quietly copy down her answers from the corner of her eye. Why was she so attracted to the laziest student in class?

It was irritating to say the least.

Mr. Williams walked up to the head of the class, counting heads and getting roll. Haley sat quietly while everyone around her continued to talk. Basic meaningless stories about what happened over the weekend or the next school dance.

Her paper slid against her pen. A white smile flashed her way. "Thanks."

She politely smiled back. Heart skipping a beat. "You're welcome."

As Mr. Williams began the lesson, Haley quietly paid attention, inadvertently playing with her pen. The black, metallic object moved back and forth on the desk, her index finger pushed it away and brought it back. It made a small whirring sound as it rolled between her finger and the tabletop.

Once again she found herself thinking. The issue of racism was the topic that the class was discussing. Her teacher felt very strongly about the subject. It was very wrong in his opinion. She began to wonder why people were racist. Why people thought that one color was better than another. Why one race was more superior than the other. The most fascinating aspect of racism was that it was acceptable to society for a long time. It wasn't a problem back then like it is now.

"Haley?"

She looked around, unaware that she had escaped into her mind again. The pen still made the strangely loud whirring. "Yes, Mr. Williams?"

"Please stop playing with your pen."

_Ladies don't play with their pens._

Haley quickly halted her finger from moving the writing utensil.

Eyes were on her. She swallowed the large concentration of saliva that had suddenly developed in the back of her throat. They were probably thinking how stupid she was for disrupting the class. Quickly she put her hands into her lap. The pen rolled off the table, clattering on the floor.

Her face became hot once again. She bit her bottom lip, hurriedly leaving her seat to pick it up. Every step was even more daunting than the next. As she walked, she realized that she didn't know what to do with her hands. She wanted to put them down at her sides, but it would look awkward. She didn't want to look stupid walking all the way over to her pen to pick it up but for some reason she did. She didn't even know why she was thinking about her hands.

The pen had rolled so far.

Haley bent down and retrieved the pen.

"Thank you," Mr. Williams said.

And she went back to her seat.

* * *

Her mother paced back and forth, hands at her sides, fingers constantly wriggling against the fabric of her dress. She was irritated. Or angry. Haley couldn't tell which. Her mother's emotions seemed to mush together to make an odd combination of emotional expressions resembling that of an irate tiger who was too hungry to think. She paced like one too. Across the floorboards, forwards and back. The heels of her shoes clapped against the wooden floor. Like a metronome. Keeping the beat to the Ladies' Recital.

Her father leaned behind her against his large mahogany desk, arms crossed, eyes strafing the movements of his wife. Small puffs of smoke sifted through his lips and into the air. Every now and then he pinched the end of the pipe with his index finger and thumb to speak. He was like a parrot. An echo. Repeating everything his wife said to reinforce their point. He was probably just as angry as her mother was. Or irritated. Haley still couldn't tell which.

A priceless pistol sat behind her father's head displayed on a shelf. It glared disapprovingly and the young girl. Haley looked away. She sat quietly in her seat. The school jacket folded neatly in her lap. Her bag was propped against the leg of the chair. She waited for the recital to begin. And it would begin the same way:

"Haley, sit up straight."

"Yes," her father said. "Sit up straight."

She sat up straight.

"Ladies always take reproof with dignity."

"Ladies _always_ take reproof with dignity."

She nodded her head.

Her mother stopped pacing long enough to take a breath before continuing, using her finger like a conducting wand. "Mr. Williams called me at work today. Do you realize how embarrassing it was to talk with him about you?"

"Quite embarrassing," her father emphasized.

"You disrupted class."

"_Disrupted class_," he added with a sense of disgust.

"He told me what you were doing, but I want you to tell me right now. I want to hear it for myself."

Haley took a deep breath. She glanced at her feet. "I was-"

"Haley, look at me when you speak."

She repositioned her eyes. "I was… playing with my pen."

"Playing with your pen!" her mother gasped.

"With. Your. Pen."

"Have we taught you nothing?"

"_Nothing_?"

Haley shook her head. Obviously they had taught her nothing if she was stupid enough to play with her pen during class.

"Do you realize how much we spend to keep you in school?"

Haley nodded her head. She knew.

"And here you are playing when you should be learning."

She hesitantly raised her hand.

"Yes?"

"May I speak?"

"Yes you may."

"Mr. Williams is out to get me. He always has something new to get me in trouble with-"

"Mr. Williams is a good friend of ours-"

"Good friend."

"And we will not allow you to talk badly about him."

Haley crossed her arms and legs. _She_ was beginning to get irritated. The concert of blame and finger pointing was approaching the crescendo and she was not excited about it.

"When he calls me at work to say that you disrupted class because you were playing with your pen," she took a deep breath, finger held just above her nose, "you not only embarrass me and your father, but you embarrass yourself-"

"Yourself!"

"He will tell the board and they will hear of your _disruptions_ and they will tell their superiors," she paused again as if realizing for the first time what will happen. She held her forehead. "And they will tell _their_ superiors… there will be no end to it. _Our reputation_ will be ruined because of one little act of disorder. Do you care about our reputation?"

Haley looked at her feet and nodded her head.

"Haley, look at me when I'm talking to you."

She repositioned her head.

"Well?"

"I do," she recited. "I care about your reputation."

"Then you will think twice before playing with your pen."

"And you will think twice before causing a commotion in class," he added.

She nodded at her husband. "Yes. Commotion indeed."

Haley nodded her head. "Yes, Mother. Yes, Father."

Her mother stopped the metronome. She exhaled. Haley sat still, waiting for the climax to settle into the finale. The silence was the next phase. Her mother stared crossly at her daughter. Thinking of what to do next. Thinking of the next words to say. Haley took a deep breath, waiting patiently. She remembered to keep her posture and to keep her eyes on her mother's face.

"I want you to go into the garden and memorize the names of each flower."

Haley nodded her head.

"You may go."

Haley stood up, put her jacket back on, and shouldered her bag. Her feet sadly crossed the wooden floor. Small taps emanated from beneath her shoes, echoing only slightly. She did not look back. Her parent's words were final. Complaining about it further would only stir up more drama. They had their reputation to keep up. Haley was putting it in unnecessary jeopardy.

Living in high society was harder than it looked.

The tiny echoes followed her down the hallway on her way out to the garden. She re-shouldered her school bag again. Through the large glass double doors, the pebble walkway led down to the lawn. Perfectly cut grass. Perfect little squares placed in tightly shaped lines. Not a blade was taller than the next. It was kept up by the best.

The garden was absolutely amazing. Open yet isolated from the rest of the backyard, a golden fence kept it separated from everything else. Imperfection would not get into this garden. It would stay faultless. It was to remain beautiful.

Sunrays drifted lazily down a beam of light. Covered over beautiful purples and pinks. Hues of brilliant blues and rich reds. Healthy green pigment complemented by the darkened shades of tree bark. A small man-made waterfall splashed down a miniature mountain of rocks, overflowing into the bed before it turned into a river that rushed between bunches of posies and daisies, lilacs and roses.

She already knew their names so there was no real need to be there besides the fact that her parents had told her to. She closed her eyes. The cool breeze aimlessly blew around her body. Waving the flowers towards her and away. Swaying like vines. Haley let her hair dance about her head. It was relaxing. She was actually relaxing.

Little thoughts crept into her mind. Involuntarily, she began to think once more about her current situation. The entire lecture could have been avoided if she had not played with the pen. It wasn't her fault though. Mr. Williams always picked on her when a _disruption_ occurred in class. He always neglected to see her grades when certain mishaps transpired in his classroom. He should be teaching her instead of pointing fingers.

"Stupid," she said aloud. "He's just stupid. He shouldn't be trying to get me in trouble. He's the teacher. He should be doing his job and teaching me. I wasn't even playing with my pen. Thomas plays with his pen all the time, but he never seems to call his parents. He's just... he's just." Haley tried to finish her rambling but she could not. It was pointless.

The sound of snapping branches broke her train of thought.

She opened her eyes.

A muffled yell was suddenly silenced by the ground.

Some one had fallen just at the base of the tree.

"How odd," she muttered.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

* * *

With every step Haley took, she wondered deeply how in the world a man falls out of a tree. So many possibilities of what might be the reason. Slowly, Haley moved across the grass to the other side of the tree so she could get a better look. Small, dainty steps towards the intruder, trying to be as cautious as possible.

"What an odd thing to happen," she said aloud. She pressed her hands against its bark, tilting her head to inspect further. The person was just a few feet away. He groaned slightly before sitting up. "What an odd thing indeed." It was more to reassure herself than anything else.

The intruder was a young man, not much older than she was. Long black hair curled over his ears, hanging just a little off of the back of his neck. Messy bangs covered his shiny forehead, shoved to one side. Oddly enough, he wore a suit, complete with shiny black shoes and a narrow tie to match. He rubbed the back of his head, looking up at the only tree in the garden with curiosity. He took a deep breath before awkwardly standing up and stretching.

"What were you doing?" she spontaneously said just above a whisper.

He turned to her. "Wot?"

She stayed behind the tree. "What were you doing before you fell?"

"Oi was troin ta foind a wey insoid this place."

"Why?"

"Ta see wot was insoid, of corse."

"Why?" She was beginning to wonder if engaging in conversation with the fellow was the best idea. He was such a strange young man.

"Wot ah yew insinuating?"

"Nothing, I was insinuating nothing. Just… you are on private property and you wanted to get into a gated garden. Maybe you wanted to steal something."

Offended, the young man grabbed at his suit jacket and straightened it in contempt. He walked behind the tree to where Haley stood. "Oi say, gud woman, wot koind of mahn do yew think oi em?"

"What kind of man do I think you are?"

"Yes."

"Wow… Well, I don't know. You seem kind of ill."

"Ill?"

"Or at least mad."

He was taken aback by her comment. Flashing a great smile, he did a small jig and said, "I am not mad. As you can see I have quite the happy disposition."

"Not mad, Stupid," she sighed. "Mad. As in insane."

"I'm not insane either. How did you ever come to that conclusion?"

Haley shrugged. "I don't know. I'm alone. Out of screaming distance. You come crashing in-"

"You sure like to run to conclusions, don't you?" He flicked a playful wink.

"Hey," she said. "What happened to your English accent?" In all of the commotion of figuring out his motives, Haley didn't even notice that he was speaking differently.

"I never had an English accent."

"Yes you did."

"Of course I didn't," he grinned. "I_ speak_ English. How can I have an accent in a language I'm fluent in?"

She couldn't help but laugh. "You are surely mad."

Haley was so intrigued with him. He was strange and so much different than anybody she had ever met before. An awkward silence was beginning to develop. Quickly she began to think of something to say. She wanted to continue the conversation but didn't know how to begin when suddenly she realized that he didn't have a name. "What is your name, Sir?"

"Well, it's definitely not Winston."

"I never said that it was."

"You shouldn't assume other peoples' names. It's very rude."

"What? I never… you never told me _your_ name."

"Neither did you."

"Why are you being to so difficult?" She only wanted to know his name. "You are impossible."

"Don't be absurd, of course I'm possible. I'm standing right here, aren't I?"

"Yes you are but-"

"So how can I be impossible if I'm most possibly right before you?"

"Will you let me finish?"

He grinned. "Finish what?"

"My sentence."

"_Your_ sentence? Highly presumptuous of you."

"Fine. My name is Haley."

"Nice to meet you, Haley."

She smiled. Now they were getting somewhere. "Do you have a name?"

"Good question."

Another silence filled in the void. She looked at him, trying to figure out why he was being awkwardly fainéant. "Are you going to answer it?"

He held up a finger. "Hold on. I'm thinking."

Once again, the conversation was stumped. "You either know your name or you don't. What more do you need to think about?"

"Well that's an entirely different question."

"Which one?"

"You asked me if I had a name, and to be quite honest with you, I don't know if I have a name, but you also asked me what I needed to think about, which is a different question altogether."

"Answer the first question then."

"No," he replied. "I don't have a name. Shall I entertain the second?"

She sighed, "If you want."

"Alright! Here we go!" The young man happily jumped in the air. He took two sticks off of the ground and began to beat the trunk of the tree, creating small rhythmic patterns that resembled a snare drum.

"What are you doing?"

"Entertaining the question."

"You're playing the tree like a drum."

"Oh," he stopped, looking genuinely concerned about what he had done. He scratched the back of his head and looked at her. "Do you think the question enjoys piano?"

Haley was beginning to get impatient with him. It was a totally absurd question to ask. Stamping her foot on the ground, she shook her head and heaved a sigh through her nostrils. "No, I don't think the question enjoys piano!"

"Well," he said shrugging his shoulders, "then I shall never tell you my name."

"You _just_ told me that you don't have one!"

"Indeed I did, Haley. I don't have a name. But I know what my name is."

"That doesn't make any sense."

Smoothly he put his arm over her shoulder as if they had good friends for a long time. "Your name is Haley, is it not?"

Removing his arm, she took a few steps away. "It is."

"Do you own that name?"

"Yes I do."

"How do you know another Haley somewhere else doesn't own the same name?"

"Well… I guess I don't-"

"So then, if you own your name, and she does as well, do you and the other Haley have joint custody over it?"

It was an interesting question. More like a riddle. And Haley wanted to answer it correctly. Crossing her arms, she began to think. "I suppose we would… if we owned the name to begin with-"

"Precisely!"

"So then you're saying that I can't own my name since there is most likely another person with the same name."

"Yes."

She smiled, happy that she got the answer right. "But you still haven't told me what your name is."

"I do apologize, Dear Haley." He stood up straight. "You can call me Sir Quistin Jibbles." He bowed slightly towards her, his hand extended.

Politely she took it and curtsied. Finally, they had gotten somewhere. He finally told her his name. She thought about it for a second. It was an odd name. "What an odd name," she stated.

"Isn't it though?" A silly smile enveloped his face.

"I've never heard of that name before. How do you know that _you_ don't own it?"

"Because it's not mine."

Back to square one. "Then whose name is it?"

"Sir Quistin's name."

"Is he a friend of yours?"

"Oh heavens no! He's a whorrible person."

"So you stole his name?"

"Don't be ridiculous. I borrowed it."

"If 'Sir Quistin Jibbles' isn't your real name, what is?"

"That's for me to find out and you to know."

"Don't you mean 'for me to know and you to find out?'"

"I meant what I said."

"But it doesn't make any sense."

"Oh but it does."

"How?"

"That's for you to know and me to find out."

"You did it again!"

"Did what?"

"You switched around the words to make a new meaning out of them."

"Did I? How strange."

"How strange indeed! Now you know how I feel."

Quistin twirled around the trunk until he came on the other side of her. "Actually I don't. You apparently are irritated with my apparent switching. I, on the other hand, am not."

"I'm irritated because you used the wrong figure of speech to say something totally nonsensical!"

"Then you have nothing to be irritated about."

"And why not?"

"They're just words," he stated casually. "You said yourself that it was a figure of speech. It doesn't have to mean anything more than what meaning I give to it."

"But-"

"But nothing, Haley!" He playfully stood staunchly with his arms crossed.

"You can't do that."

"Why not?"

"Because," Haley started. As she looked at the ground it became apparent that she couldn't think of a reasonable answer to his question. She knew why he couldn't do what he did but she couldn't put it into words. "Because… because… saying it one way makes it different than saying it another way-"

"As we have already established."

"It's like saying 'I am a girl and you are a boy' is the same as that I am a boy and you are a girl. It just doesn't work. _You_ are a boy and _I_ am a girl."

"But it could work if you wanted it to."

"No it couldn't!"

"Listen… Haley, is it?"

"Yes."

"Haley, allow me to share with you a piece of information that not a lot of people know about. Are you ready?"

"Even if I wasn't, I bet you'd still tell me."

He leaned in close and whispered into her ear. "Words are symbolic."

She shook her head. "That means nothing to me."

"Exactly," he grinned again.

"Exactly what?"

"Exactly my point."

"And that would be?"

Quistin lifted his hands high above his head to illustrate the grandeur of his words. "That everything we say, every kind of word and speech, has a meaning because we give it meaning."

"I still don't understand."

"Are you gay?"

"Of course not."

"Well, you don't understand what I'm saying. You certainly seem _stupid_."

"That's not what 'gay' means."

"Do you like rainy weather?"

Haley shook her head. "Not really. It's kind of gay."

"There's nothing _homosexual_ about it."

"But that's not what I meant-"

"Have you ever 'decked the halls with _gay_ apparel'?"

"That's not even how the song goes-"

"Well it looks like you're not a very _happy_ person, Haley."

"You're changing the meaning of the word!"

"Am I?"

"Yes! Yes you are!"

"So passionate, yet so ignorant."

"Excuse me?"

"You're excused."

"Did you call me ignorant?"

"I did. But don't take it as an insult. It was very much a compliment."

It was strange how he could make her laugh, or make her think, or make her angry with just a few words. She was beginning to tire of it. "I'll take it the way I want to take it."

"Excellent."

She crossed her arms again. "You still changed the meaning of the word."

"_I_ did nothing of the sort. If you had been observant, you'd have noticed the differences."

"There weren't any differences."

"Then there's nothing for you to be upset about."

"Fine," Haley said. "Whatever."

The breeze casually swooped into the gated garden once again. The tree swayed gently in its current and the sun was comforting to the skin. Haley sat back down, bringing her legs close to her chest. She wrapped her arms around her calves and leaned her head on her knees. She took a deep breath. Quistin was taking a lot of energy out of her.

He hummed a small tune. She did not recognize it but it was nice. It was a while before she realized that she was trying to hum along with him. He sat down on the grass next to her, smiling at the blue sky above. "Do you realize that we've been here for almost an hour?"

She looked up. "Has it been that long? Time sure does fly."

"Actually, I think he drives."

Haley smiled.

Another brief silence came between the two. In the time they were no longer speaking, she thought of all the odd things they had talked about. It was strange to have such an arbitrary conversation about nothing to someone she just barely met. Haley wasn't the type of person to talk to strangers, nice or otherwise, but there was something special about Quistin. He looked free. He seemed careless, but in a good way.

Her mother had told her to memorize the names of the flowers, but she didn't say how long she had to be there. Without really thinking of whom she was talking to, she asked, "Do you think we'll be here much longer?"

Quistin nodded his head in a very matter-of-fact kind of way. "Probably."

She sighed. "Well, I don't want to stay here forever."

He just sat on the grass and smiled.

"I'd surely miss supper if I stay in here any longer."

"I miss supper too." He perked up.

She gave him a crooked look. There was no way of telling if he was kidding or telling the truth. The thought of food shifted her thoughts from his discursiveness to food. Haley rubbed her stomach. "I believe I'm having mashed potatoes with gravy and turkey. Oh it sounds so good."

"It _tastes_ so good!"

She looked down at the plate he had in his hands. How did he get that? When did he get it? It was the same supper plate that her mother used every night. Full of mashed potatoes with gravy and two slices of turkey breast. "Hey! Where'd you get that?"

"It was here the whole time."

"Why didn't I smell it?"

"Because," he said through mouthfuls of turkey and potatoes, "you were too busy listening for it. You can't hear food, Silly Girl."

"I am not silly."

"But you are a girl."

"Is there any left for me?" She needed to change the subject.

"Nope."

"You ate it all?"

"I did indeed, Haley. I did indeed."

"How rude!" she pouted her lip.

"Hay-lee!" someone called in a singsong fashion from behind the wall.

"Yes, Martha?"

"Your mother told me to come get you. It's almost time for supper."

"Okay, Martha," she replied, "I'll just be a minute."

"Don't make your parents wait too long."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Quistin smirked. "You better get in there, Kid. Sounds like your parents wouldn't be too pleased if you were late."

Haley got up, just a little offended by what he called her. He was probably just as old as she was. Calling her a kid was so demeaning. Smoothing out her skirt and habitually wiping the dirt from her hands, Haley extended her hand. "It was nice meeting you, Quistin."

He stood up as well. She looked up into his eyes. He was a good three or four inches taller than she was. Their hands connected. "It was nice meeting you too, Haley."

"Haley!" another voice called from beyond the wall.

She turned around.

"Martha called you in for supper two minutes ago!"

"I'm coming, Mother."

"Ladies are always punctual to-" she stopped short of her sentence. The pleasantly attractive older woman entered into the garden, surprised to see her daughter with an unknown boy. Her dress suit fit nicely around her curves. She straightened her posture in front of company and politely nodded her head, acknowledging that he was there.

Quistin smiled in response.

"Who is this, Haley?" she inquired curiously.

Haley nervously looked at her mother's stern eyes. She couldn't speak freely when she was being stared at.

He stepped forward. "How rude of me, Madam, I should have introduced myself." He bowed slightly. "Just call me Justin."

Justin. Haley noticed that he used a different name than the one he gave her. She gave him an inquisitive look to which he winked. Quistin was such an unusual name; maybe he _was _making it up. There was no reason to tell her the truth, but why would anybody lie about a name? She told him hers. He must have had a good reason for lying.

Her mother nodded her head again, making sure to keep her chin just a little bit higher than his. "I didn't know Haley was having a guest over."

"I just… dropped by." He smiled. Bright white teeth glistened in the fading sunlight.

Haley snapped back into reality. "He was just leaving, Mother."

"Why?" She asked in a surprisingly condescending tone. "He should stay for supper."

"You're too kind, but I've already eaten."

"I insist, Justin. Stay for supper."

Quistin straightened his jacket. He winked at Haley again. "Well, if you insist."

The two of them left, closing the golden gate behind them. The orange orb in the sky slowly descended past the cumulus clouds, creating a sea of colorful mixtures of nature's pallet. Indigo ribbons lay between yellow hues and dark shades of violet. The clouds reflected a pinkish glow as black night and sparkling stars replaced the rest.

Haley found herself thinking about the predicament she had suddenly been thrown into. A strange and irritating young man had abruptly entered into her life and was going to be there for dinner. What would a lady like herself do? Exhaling deeply, she picked up her school bag and walked out of the garden. Supper was waiting. And so was Quistin.

* * *

A little drop of hot water dangled on the rim of the faucet before dropping into the white basin. Steam rose up below Haley's nostril. The soft cotton of the hand towel dried her skin. She took a deep breath. Her eyes outlined her face before pushing a lock of hair behind her ear. Getting ready for supper at her house was mandatory, but when guests arrived it was like she was attending supper at Governor's House.

A flowing white dress formed fittingly around her body. Pearly white orbs hung loosely from her neck. She looked in the mirror, scrunching her nose in distaste. She never liked her body too much. Even less when she had to put on makeup. And she always had to wear makeup.

"I'm sorry we could not begin the evening with the main course, Justin, but Martha seems to have misplaced the fourth supper dish."

Haley glanced at Quistin.

He only shook his head politely. "That's quite alright. Soup will be fine for now." Quistin dipped his spoon into the bisque, slowly bringing it to his lips to sip it in. His eyes shifted from the mother, to the father, then to Haley.

She looked uncomfortable.

She looked down at the bowl. Her reflection rippled slightly when the spoon broke the plain. Dressed up suppers were stupid. She shouldn't have to have to dress up for supper. She didn't want to impress Quistin. She didn't want to dress up in her stupid white dress to impress Quistin. Nobody else in the world had to dress up in stupid white dresses to impress Quistin.

"So," her mother said with a plastered smile, "where are you from, Justin?"

Quistin sipped another ounce of soup. Daintily dabbing his mouth, he gave her another white grin. "Well, I am originally from Liverpool."

"Liverpool? I'm surprised. You don't have an accent."

"Indeed I don't, Madam. I've learned how to mask it."

She tilted her head in respect. "That is quite a task, Sir."

"Thank you."

There was something different about him. Haley noticed that he sat up straight, sipped his soup and spoke correctly. It seemed like he knew how to be a proper person in high society. But the image contradicted her first impression of him. Before he was outrageous. Talking nonsense and absurdities. A carefree individual. The person sitting in front of her was not carefree. He acted like any other boy at her school would if they were attending supper at her house.

"How old are you?" Her mother asked.

"I'll be nineteen in two days."

"Oh."

Haley rolled her eyes and dabbed the lukewarm liquid.

Her father looked at her with stern eyes.

"What?" she mouthed.

Her mother glanced her way before turning back to Quistin. "I have to say that you don't look familiar. Would I know your parents?"

"Probably."

"Where do you live? I'd loved to have them over for supper."

"I think they'd love that too."

Haley's palm caught her falling head. Her eyes drooped lower and lower with every breath. She yawned.

"Well, the question that I have to ask is what brought you here to my house, Justin?" Her mother asked.

He smiled as innocently as he could. "Haley and I are good friends from school."

"Really? She's never mentioned you."

Haley chuckled.

"Haley!"

She perked up.

"Haley, you are being very rude."

Quistin pierced his lips and sat back into the chair.

"Sit up straight."

She sat up straight.

"Stop playing with your soup."

She placed her spoon on the napkin.

Her mother puffed up, letting loose a gruff breath to let Haley know that she was aggravated.

Quistin stifled a laugh.

Haley's father shook his head in disapproval.

She put her hands in her lap. "I'm sorry, Mother."

Her mother composed herself. "I think it's time for the main course."

"Oh, I'm going to have to decline," Quistin interjected. "My parents are probably waiting for me at home and I sure do hate to keep them waiting."

"You never told me who your parents were."

"Governor Smith is my father."

That got her attention. "Really?"

"Thank you for having me over for soup."

"You are very welcome, Justin."

"Yes," her father said. "You're welcome."

Haley nodded her head politely.

Quistin pushed his chair back and stood up. He stood still, a well-mannered look on his face, purposely creating an awkward tension in the dining room that made Haley's parents feel very uncomfortable.

"Haley?"

"Yes, Mother."

"Walk Justin out."

"Yes, Mother."

Haley got to her feet and walked to him. He brought his hand up so that she could slip hers underneath it. A proper thing to do in that situation. He smiled at her. She rolled her eyes. He smiled so much it had quickly lost its charm. They walked down the long hallway towards the entrance doors. Their tapping feet echoed off of the walls.

"Why did you lie to me?" It broke the silence.

"Because I can." It was almost an immediate response.

"So you're name isn't Quistin Jibbles."

"I never said that."

"You told my mother that your name was Justin."

"No I didn't," he said back. "I only said that she could call me Justin."

"Well that's the same thing."

He shook his head. "What did we talk about this afternoon, Haley?"

She shifted through the memory of their time together in the garden. "Nothing. We talked about nonsense… about time and words."

Quistin nodded his head. "Yes, and what did I say about words?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. Something about words being symbolic."

"Exactly. Words are just as arbitrary as names. Names are irrelevant if I don't know the person. I didn't know you so I lied. I didn't know your mom so I lied."

"What about at supper? Are you really turning nineteen?"

"Eventually."

"So how old are you?"

"That's for me to know and you to find out."

She smiled at the inside joke. Her finger gently moved a fallen lock of hair behind her ear and looked at the ground.

"What about your parents? Are you really the Governor's son?"

He grinned. "Nope."

"Lying is wrong."

"Says who?"

"Everybody."

"Do you always believe what everybody says?"

There wasn't an answer other than the obvious, but something told her that he wasn't interested in the obvious answer. In the break of conversation she realized that they had already arrived at the entrance. Haley exhaled. She didn't want to talk to him any longer. She opened the door. "It's time for you to leave."

"Ok." He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. "Thank you for a wonderful evening."

She blinked. She didn't know whether he had really just kissed her or she had imagined it. What did it mean if he did? What did it mean if he didn't? It happened so quickly that she didn't realize that she was holding her breath. A secret kiss. She needed to know what really happened. Peering outside, Haley searched for his black suit.

But like a gust of wind, he was gone.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

* * *

Haley woke up to the abrupt knock from the maid. She stirred slightly before ignoring the other two clicks from the wood. The door swung open and Martha hurriedly entered into the room and pulled back the curtains. Sunlight streamed into the bedroom. The young girl tried to block the sun by closing her eyes and burying her head underneath her pillow. She did not want to go to school today.

"Wake up, Haley," Martha pulled the covers back. "Breakfast will be ready in an hour."

"I don't want to go to school today."

"Don't let your parents hear you say that."

Haley's eyes shot open.

Her parents. They would not be happy to hear her say how much she didn't want to go to school, even if it was a joke. Money was no joke to them. And they gave a lot of money to keep her in school. She sighed in irritation. They reminded her of that often.

Slowly throwing her legs over the side of the bed, Haley slipped her feet soothingly into a pair of soft slippers. Her bathrobe hugged her shoulders as if to greet her with a good morning. Martha continued to dutifully tidy up while Haley bid her a salutation with a tired grunt and exited towards the bathroom where she turned the shower knob to 'hot'. Cold water gushed out, quickly becoming warm as the second hand of the bathroom clock made its way across the numbered face. She cupped her hand underneath it to test the temperature before taking off her bathrobe and clothes and stepping in.

She closed her eyes. Relaxing her muscles. Letting her skin enjoy the powerful tranquility of a warm shower. Hot beads of water crashed into her tired body. Her mouth opened, breathing in the warm atmosphere. She needed a relaxing shower to mentally prepare herself for the day ahead. But she also used the time to reflect on the day before.

Quistin. Justin. Whatever his name was. The image of his face briefly entered her mind. In it he was smiling, the suit wrinkled just a little on his left shoulder and the tie dangling loosely underneath the jacket buttons. The presumptuous grin on his lips. It was oddly irritating in an endearing way.

There weren't too many people like him. Peculiar and strange. There were many words to describe him. After spending one afternoon with Quistin, she didn't know whether she knew too much about him or not enough. He definitely knew a lot about proper etiquette, but he chose to ignore it. From their first conversation, Haley knew that he was quite aberrant, but she never knew he'd be such a mystery.

Her parents performed the Ladies' Recital the night of his appearance. Since they believed that he was the Governor's son, they thought that their reputation was in jeopardy again. She couldn't bring herself to tell them the truth. Not that it would have mattered. She still went to bed without supper. Coincidentally, they were having mashed potatoes and turkey.

The most prolific thoughts that fermented in her mind were about his kiss. The secret kiss. She could still remember the booming pump of her heart when he did it, the sudden lack of oxygen and the rush of blood to the head. Haley wanted to know why he had done it. He could be attracted to her and wanted to show it, she reasoned. It could be true, she rationalized. Nobody just kisses someone else without it meaning anything. There's too much implied in a kiss. Even if the kiss was on the cheek.

She chuckled to herself. What if he had kissed her on the lips?

But she probably would never see him again. He disappeared from her life just as quickly as he had fallen into it.

Haley turned off the flow of water, grabbing through the curtain at the towel on the counter top. She leisurely ran the cotton laced cloth down her body and stepped onto the bathroom tile. Drops of water still dripped off of her hair, but she pulled another towel over her head to keep it dry.

The mirror peered dryly at the young girl.

Picking at the corners of the towel, she made sure it was safely tied beneath her arms. She really didn't like her body.

* * *

"Daniel is sick so you'll be walking to school today."

Haley heard the word 'walking' and immediately smiled. She would not be arriving at school early today. For one day, she would not have to go down the Walk of Horror. She would simply take her time and arrive when the bell rung for class. She nodded her head in response to her mother's news, trying to contain her joy. "Yes, Mother."

"Now finish your breakfast. School starts in fifteen minutes, just enough time for you to be there with five minutes to spare if you leave in the next two."

She couldn't wait to get out the door. Just the thought made her feet jig with anticipation. She took a final bite and wiped her mouth, ready to leave. "Yes, Mother."

* * *

Along the sidewalk of the street, trees grew in rows like chess pieces, each one in its specific place. A straight lined fence of nature that distinguished the arranged clockwork of high society and the unpredictable quality of the street. Beneath the astounding tree growth resided green shrubbery that intertwined with the vines of overgrown roses, thorns puncturing the dead leaves and protecting the elegant flower. The chaos almost looked beautiful. Untamed yet controlled.

A bush shook violently. Excited chirping burst forth from the foliage as a small bird popped out. It curiously looked at its surroundings before hopping to another spot only to realize that its foot had been caught in a vine, hindering its movement to only a few feet. The bird tried to fly but it could not. It was chained down by the oppressive strength of the tree vine.

Haley walked down the sidewalk. Her freshly pressed skirt swung across her knee with every step she took. She adjusted her school bag on her shoulder and enjoyed the freedom of walking to school alone at her own pace. It was sort of exhilarating. She had never walked to school by herself before.

The crisp morning air brought a sense of happiness to her.

"Today is such a wonderful day," Haley said aloud as she often did when she was alone. "I am so glad that I can walk to school by myself." She looked at her surroundings. "Somehow everything looks so… different. The sky is bluer. The trees are greener." Taking a deep breath, she couldn't help but smile. "I never realized how exciting it is to actually be outside of that… stupid limousine."

The little bird's high pitched chirping reached her ears. She eyed it jump and wriggle against the strength of the green chain tied around its ankle in a futile effort to become free. Haley felt a sort of pity for the creature. It was too naive to know that the only reason it was trapped was because of the vine. The bird was capable of becoming free; it just didn't have the knowledge to do so.

"I'll help you," she said, bending down to grab it. "I won't hurt you, I just want to set you free… you don't have to be afraid. I know what I'm doing." The bird backed away, frightened at first. With a little more verbal encouragement, Haley was able to grab the vine, gently tugging the bird towards her so she could untie its hindrance.

"Do you talk to yourself often?"

Haley whipped her head around, startled by the sudden intrusion, inadvertently ripping the vine in two. The bird squawked happily in its freedom and lifted off into the sky. She turned her head to see a glimpse of the small creature fly away. A smile crept into her lips.

It was free.

"Haley?"

She fell out of her thoughts long enough to realize that she was being spoken to. She turned towards the voice. "Quistin!"

"You sound surprised to see me."

"I… am."

"Why?"

"I never thought I'd see you again."

He grinned. "Well here I am."

She stood up, nervously playing with the strap of her bag. "What are you doing here?"

"Going to school." He flashed the school's crest and straightened the grey jacket. "What about you?"

"I'm also going to school."

"Well then let's walk together."

Haley quietly nodded her head and walked forward. Quistin confidently strode beside her. She looked as her shoes passed beneath her eyes, the clip clopping of her heels bounding down the sidewalk. Everything that she was thinking about under the pounding droplets of the shower head came flooding back. A strange feeling gripped her stomach.

"So," Quistin stated, interrupting her thoughts, "do you talk to yourself often?"

"What do you mean?"

"You seem to speak aloud a lot."

She continued looking down. "Only when no one is around."

"Oh." He seemed satisfied with her answer.

Haley wanted to ask him the questions that were plaguing her, but for some strange reason she couldn't come up with the words. The empty silence grew longer and longer and she didn't know what to say. The day before she didn't have any problem talking or asking anything of him, but now she had trouble with even a simple greeting. What was holding her back? Nothing. Haley couldn't understand why.

"School is such a bore," he mused casually.

She cleared her throat. "I…uh, I didn't know you actually went to my school."

"I don't," he replied.

"But… you're wearing the school jacket."

"I stole it."

"You stole it?"

"From some kid named Thomas." He pointed proudly at the name-tag stitched just below the crest.

"Thomas?"

"Do you know him?"

"Yes I do. He's in my history class."

Quistin smiled.

She took a deep breath. Her eyes glanced at his face before falling back down to her feet. Saying the next words were a mistake, but she needed to say them. "Stealing is wrong," she was able to mutter.

He sighed. "Here we go again."

"But stealing _is_ wrong-"

"And I suppose _everyone_ told you that."

Haley shook her head. "No… but that's what I was taught."

"Your parents teach you a lot of things."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Your parents dictate a lot of what you do... Or say... Or think."

"That's not true."

"Really?" He was unconvinced.

"That's not true," she whispered to herself.

Quistin jumped in front of her nose, arms crossed, smug grin on his face, teasingly blocking her path. He eyed her face cautiously before stating, "Really? You actually believe that?"

She stopped walking.

"I bet you've never broken the law before."

She didn't know what to say. She hadn't.

"No, I'll do one better: I bet you've never broken a rule that your parents have given you."

"I… I have to go to school."

"Have you?"

She tried to get passed him, but he stepped in her way again.

"Tell me one rule you've broken. One thing you've done against your parents."

"I have to go to school, Quistin."

"You don't _have_ to go to school."

"Yes I do."

"You don't have to do anything your parents tell you to do."

"I'm probably already late as it is-"

"Haley, have you ever ditched school?"

"No."

"Well, maybe you should."

"I can't."

"Don't be modest. Of course you can."

"No, Quistin, I can't."

"Anybody is physically able to ditch school."

"I can't."

"You can't?"

"Yes."

"Or you won't?"

"I can't."

"Or you don't know how."

"I can't."

"Haley, what's holding you back from ditching school? It's not me. It's not your parents. It's not the school."

She re-shouldered her bag and moved forward. "I can't do it, Quistin, now please get out of my way."

He sidestepped, allowing her to go. His arms extended on his sides and his shoulders rose up to his chin in an inquisitive fashion. "Why can't you ditch one class?"

Haley stopped a few steps away from him. She looked back and sighed. "I just can't."

"See," Quistin walked forward, "I can't accept that as an answer because you are definitely capable of ditching. It's either you won't or you don't know how."

"I… I…" she hesitated. Finally she shook her head. "I don't know how."

"Excellent! See, isn't that better?"

She pushed her hair out of her face. "I don't know, not really."

"You should feel a lot more confidant."

"Why?" she asked timidly.

"You just accepted the reality that you don't know how to ditch class."

"So?"

"Now you can find out how."

"But-"

"But what, Haley? What is this need you have to question everything I tell you? You were doing so well."

"With what?"

"Accepting truths."

She smiled, before hiding it. "That's absurd. I haven't-"

"Do we really need to go over it again? You got the riddle right… What did we talk about yesterday?"

"Um, the symbolic nature of words… and names."

"Yes and what did you learn about those things."

She thought for a moment. "They… are… Oh, I don't remember!"

"You learned that words don't have to have meaning unless we give it meaning. The only reason why blue is called blue and not red is because society accepts the knowledge that it's the way it is."

"Stop talking like that, Quistin. I don't understand what you're trying to say."

"That's understandable."

Haley huffed. "Now I'm really late for class."

"You don't have to go."

She clenched her fist. Stared into his eyes. His arrogant face. His absurd questions. Something swelled within her, compelling her to finally ask the questions she was too afraid to ask. Haley walked directly to him. "Why did you kiss me?"

He grinned. "Wow. You asked a straightforward question. I'm impressed."

"Why did you do it?"

"Because I could."

"Just like how you can just lie about your name?"

"Yup."

"So it didn't mean anything?"

"Not really."

Tears hung suspended beneath her pupils. Her lip quivered. How could he be so mean? How could he be so rude? All of the possible feelings of happiness that used to be in her grasp disappeared with the truth like a surrounding void sucking anything and everything away from her.

She liked it better when she didn't know his motives.

She like it better when she didn't know whether she would ever see him again.

She narrowed her eyes. Haley looked him straight in the face. "You're a jerk."

Quistin grabbed her hand. "Hey, look, I'm sorry."

"Don't touch me!"

He let go. "Haley, I'm sorry if what I said offended you."

Tightly grasping her bag, she turned away, stomping angrily down the sidewalk towards the school.

"Haley!" he called out, a small sense of giddiness in his voice.

She didn't stop or acknowledge that he was talking to her.

"Guess what?" He sounded like he was playing a game.

Haley huffed, annoyed that he was trying to get her attention after what he had done and irritated that she couldn't just keep walking. _Ladies speak when spoken to_. She _had_ to reply. "What, Quistin?"

He grinned. "You've just ditched your first class."

Haley stopped. She had the odd habit of losing the track of time when her mind was deeply invested in something else, but a whole class period seemed too farfetched. Unfortunately, she didn't have a watch to see if he was telling the truth. "Are you lying to me?"

"Nope."

"I'm ditching right now?"

"When does class start at your school?"

"Eight."

"Well, it's eight six and you're not in class."

She faced him. "You made me!"

Quistin innocently lifted his hands to protest. "I didn't do anything."

"You were talking to me and you made me late!" Haley marched forward, finger extended towards him in staunch accusation.

"I was talking to you," he agreed, "but you didn't have to listen."

"Quistin!" She growled furiously. "I'm going to kill you!"

He walked backwards, still smiling.

"Stop smiling!"

A small laugh escaped his mouth.

"It's not funny! I'm going to get in a lot of trouble!"

He stood still. "Do you feel liberated?"

"What?" She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "How would I feel liberated? My parents are going to kill me if I'm late. Why would I feel liberated, Quistin? _Ladies are always punctual_!"

"Haley," he said calmly. "Stop thinking."

"What?"

"Just stop thinking."

"Don't be ridiculous, I can't just _stop_ thinking."

"Inhale deeply and exhale slowly." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath as if preparing for meditation. "Breathe."

Haley put her hands on her hips, defiantly disobeying Quistin's suggestions. She tapped her foot to show her impatience and irritation. With all of the outrageous things he had done, _this_ was the most outrageous. She watched him as he inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly over and over again. Obviously he was ignoring her nonverbal message.

He was ignoring her. Irritated, Haley inadvertently inhaled deeply, exhaling slowly.

"Good," he said once she had. "Now we can talk."

"My parents are going to kill me," she sighed.

"I highly doubt your parents are going to kill you."

"I've never missed class in my life."

Quistin winked. "Well, since you've already ditched, why don't you and I go into to town and have a good time?"

"Don't you have to go to class too?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I don't go to your school."

"Do you go to school at all?"

His shoulders rose slightly. "When I feel like it."

Haley rolled her eyes.

"So?"

She gave him an inquisitive look. "So… what?"

"Do you want to go into town now?"

"What? No… no, I can't."

"Where are you going to go? You can't go home. You said you can't go to school-"

"I…"

"Won't or don't know how?" Quistin finished with a smirk.

Haley had to admit the truth. "I don't know how."

"Good," Quistin happily gleamed. "Allow me to show you how."

* * *

Haley and Quistin made their way down the sidewalk of the nearby town. Haley kept her back straight, arms at her sides and eyes forward just like she was taught. Since she had never done anything like ditch school before, she wanted to make sure that proper etiquette still remained within her. The words of her mother echoed in her mind.

_Ladies always walk properly._

Besides that, she felt out of place. She constantly looked at the passing faces as they ambled by. Each one gave her the most curious of looks. Haley automatically assumed that they were thinking something horrible about her. Something foul. Like she didn't belong there. Like she was just another dreadful rich kid.

Quistin was definitely a peculiar person. As he walked, Haley noticed that he did not step on any of the cracks but rather danced around them, stepping or jumping on the heel of his shoe or the tips of his toes. It looked like he was playing a game. She could hear him whispering something under his breath but she could not make it out.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"If I jump on a crack then I won't buy a snack," he said between a nimble twist and slide. "Did you see that?"

"Yes I did."

"That was incredible!" Quistin jumped over a trash container and began his game again. "If I don't buy a snack then I get to keep my pack."

Haley walked behind him, curiously watching him play.

"If I keep my pack then…" He paused. His foot hung just below his knee. He looked back at Haley. "What else rhymes with pack?"

"Back?"

"Brilliant!" With a final step over the fracture in the cement, he jumped onto a bench. "If I keep my pack then I'll step on a crack and break my mother's back!"

"That doesn't even make any sense."

"It doesn't have to, Haley. I'm just having fun."

"It doesn't look like fun."

"You'll never know unless you try it."

Haley quickly glanced around again. A few pedestrians were walking on the other side of the street and a few other people were walking into the stores and already she could sense how they'd start thinking if she started playing along with Quistin's nonsense. It was like a deranged game of hopscotch.

_Ladies do not play trivial games._

"Try it, Haley."

"I… can't."

Quistin slid interestingly on the sole and heel of his shoes, smoothly moving backwards on the wood of the bench. He chuckled slightly at her comment. "Why are you walking like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like this." He stood up straight slapping his arms on the sides of his legs. Taking large rigid steps like a marching toy soldier. Back and forth on the bench.

"I do not walk like that."

"Yes you do. Just like this."

She hid a smile. "Stop it, Quistin, you're embarrassing yourself."

"Really? You think I'm embarrassing myself."

"Yes."

"That's funny. I wasn't feeling embarrassed."

"But I was."

"Oh… okay. So I wasn't embarrassing myself. I was embarrassing you."

She nodded. "Yes."

"The funny thing about that emotion is that a person only feels embarrassed when she cares what other people think about her." He paused, studying her facial expression. He crossed his arms. "Do you care what other people think about you?"

Haley exhaled slowly and nodded her head.

"Why? Why do you care what other people think?"

"Because… they might think I'm stupid… or ugly."

"That's life, Haley. You can't change what people think."

"But I don't have to encourage it."

Quistin stood up and took her hands into his. "C'mon, Haley. Play this game with me."

"I can't, Quistin, I told you."

"Not an option. You either won't or don't know how."

"Fine. I won't."

"Do you feel more confident?"

"Why?"

"Say it."

"Say what?"

"Say that you won't play my game."

"Um… ok." She looked into his eyes looking for something that wasn't there. It was an odd thing to ask of her but she nodded her head. "I won't play your game, Quistin."

He smiled. "How do you feel?"

Surprisingly, she felt good. It was a powerful thing saying that she would not play his game instead of saying that she could not. It was her choice. Not a restriction. She smiled back. "I feel… good."

"Alright! Now that you've said 'I won't' you can choose to say 'I will'."

"What?"

"Play my game."

Haley stared into his eyes. The thought of doing something so embarrassing was preposterous. But he was correct. It was her choice. In this regard, it wasn't a matter of whether or not she could. It was a matter of whether or not she wanted to. He smiled and the corners of her lips slowly curled up. "Okay," she said hesitantly.

Quistin took his place on her left. He smiled. "Ok. If you step on a crack, then you lose. Got it?"

Her pupils rounded the corner of her eyelid. "Yes."

"The first one to the end of the street and to touch the light post wins."

"Ok."

"Go!"

Right away, Quistin bounded down the sidewalk. Instead of moving quickly for distance, he made sure that he stepped over every crack possible. He moved from the left side to the right, tapping his feet and twisting to his own rhythmic beat and then back across to do it again.

Haley took a deep breath and daintily stepped over the first crack.

"Loosen up, Haley. You're too stiff. You'll never have fun that way. Do it like this!" Locking his shoulders, he wriggled his hips, spinning in a semi circle. The motion went down to his feet and he expertly jigged his way up to his shoulders where he flailed about carefree and happy. "If I step on a crack…"

Haley closed her eyes and stepped over another crack, a little bit more relaxed.

"… then I'll jump on a tack."

A grin surprisingly came to her. She opened her eyes to see Quistin dancing over another block of cement. With a gulp of hesitation, she skipped in the air and landed, narrowly brushing against a crack. Haley twisted around to compensate but lost her balance. She brought her right foot down, catching herself from falling, swinging her left around to step over another line in the cement.

Quistin laughed, clapping his hands in applause. "That was fantastic, Haley!"

She beamed radiantly to him.

"If I jump on tack?"

Her foot slid around another line and across two more. "Then I'll have to pick up the slack."

He shimmied to the left. "If you pick up the slack?"

She shimmied to the right. "Then you'll have to go back."

He chuckled. "If I go back?"

"Then I'll give you a smack!"

"If you give me a smack?"

"Then… you'll take a card from the stack?"

Quistin burst out laughing. Haley couldn't help but join him. Together they found themselves in a fit of laughter in the middle of the sidewalk. In all of the fun she was having, Haley did not notice the couple walking by. She did not notice the older gentleman coming out of the store. And she was okay with that. She held her stomach from the uncontrollable urge to laugh harder and Quistin grinned.

Haley was having fun.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

**

* * *

**

Haley smiled into the wind. A soft breeze brushed against her face and ran its fingers through her hair. Like a bird soaring through the sky, she felt the oddly amazing feeling of freeness. She sat on a bench looking out to the street, hands in her lap, legs crossed. Skirt gently swaying over her skin.

Once again, she found the wheels turning in her mind and curious ponderings to think about. Being out of school was quite a change. When everyone else was busy scratching the surface of paper or listening to another lecture from a teacher, Haley was sitting happily on a bench with very little to be concerned about. Only the wind. The street. The cars. She never realized how little people used automobiles. She counted two in the entire time she and Quistin were in town. Since she rode in a limousine almost every morning, Haley just automatically assumed that everybody else used cars to get around.

She looked up at the sky. How astounding the morning had been. She had never laughed so hard before in her life. And it wasn't at anything extremely hilarious. She was just laughing at something nonsensical. Silly little rhymes to a meaningless game. Haley giggled a little as she replayed it in her head.

Spending time with Quistin was exhilarating to say the least. Not only was he different, but his ideologies were so much more than hers. He was more confident than she. He was bolder than she. He was everything that she secretly wished she could be. Just being with him allowed her to go one step further than what she had been before. Haley never imagined that she could play silly games in the middle of the sidewalk in the middle of a school day, but already she had done both.

With everything that they had been through recently, there was still a nagging feeling in the back of her mind reminding her that Quistin wasn't honest with her. 'Quistin' wasn't his real name. She mentally made it a goal to find out.

"Quistin?"

"Yes?"

"Why were you in the tree of my parents' garden?"

"I wasn't in the tree, but I did fall out of it."

She had begun to get used to the random things he spoke. Haley nodded her head. "Okay, but what were you doing?"

"I heard you talking and I was listening."

"That's odd."

"Yeah. People don't normally speak to themselves out loud."

"No," she said. "I mean it's odd that you were even in the backyard of my house."

"Was it your backyard?"

"No, well, it's my parents' house, so it's their backyard, but… what were you even doing there."

"Looking around. Your parents have a very impressive piece of property."

"I'll be sure to tell them that. They're very fond of you because they think that you're the Governor's son."

He chuckled. "That's right. I forgot I told them that."

She paused, thinking of the next thing to ask him. After some thought, it occurred to her how to find out what his real name might be. "Justin?" she asked quietly.

"Yes?"

She grinned. "So your real name _is_ Justin?"

"No."

"But you just replied when I called you Justin."

"I reply to any name."

"That's ridiculous. How would you know if someone called your name in a crowded area?"

"I don't know. It's never happened before."

"So how do you know that I wasn't calling another Justin?"

Quistin smirked. "Probably because Justin was a name that I've used in front of you before… and maybe because there's no one else around."

She scrunched her nose in dissatisfaction. She wanted to know his real name.

"I'm hungry," he said suddenly. "I'll be right back."

Haley watched him walk into a nearby store. She kept her eyes on the door, wondering why she was surprised that he left in such a hurry, expecting Quistin to turn onto the sidewalk at any moment. She waited for him to return but when he did not, Haley opted to think of something else.

"Hungry?"

Haley spun around in surprise. Quistin had once again unexpectedly turned up beside her. "Stop doing that."

"Stop doing what?"

"Stop… abruptly showing up all the time."

"I'll make a mental note. So are you hungry for a snack?" He dangled a bar of chocolate in front of her face.

"It's not even class intermission and you want me to eat chocolate?"

"It's a snack. Who cares what time it is?"

"I do," she protested. "I eat an apple during class intermission."

"Fine. Do you want an apple?"

"Um… sure." The quiet hiccup of a dying engine drew Haley's attention briefly away from Quistin. It was the third one she had seen in the entire morning. She turned back to Quistin who held a bright red apple in his hands.

He polished it on the school jacket before handing it to her. "Here you go."

"Where… where did you get that?"

"From the grocery store down the street."

"No you didn't," she said unconvinced. "I looked away for five seconds. You couldn't have gone to the grocery store, bought the apple and come back in five seconds."

He began to unwrap the foil around the chocolate bar with one hand. "I can if I don't pay."

"You stole it?"

"Yeah. Anything wrong with that, Dear Haley?"

"Yes! Stealing is-"

"Wrong," he interrupted. "Yes, you've said it before. Are you going to eat it or not?"

She looked at it. She _was_ beginning to get hungry. Gingerly rubbing the burgundy surface with her palm before taking it from the young man's hand, she took a bite, taking the time to enjoy every flavor that rose into her taste buds. Heavenly juices ran across her lips with a single bite. Crunchy yet ripe. A sweet smelling odor rose into her nostrils as she took another nibble. "This is an extremely good apple," she mused to herself.

"It always tastes better when it's stolen."

Haley stopped chewing long enough to glare at him. "Don't remind me."

He crumbled up the foil wrapper and tossed it into the nearby trash container. "What do you want to do now?"

"I want you to go back into that store and give the owner the amount due for the chocolate bar and this apple."

"You never cease to impress me, Haley. You accepted that you didn't know how to ditch class, you were willing to forego your insecurities long enough to have some fun and now you're finally taking the initiative to ask _me_ to do something."

She took another bite. "Well are you?"

"Please," he scoffed. "You think I'm going to go back into the place I stole from and give the cashier the money to something I've already eaten?"

"Yes."

"No. I'm not going to do that."

"It's the law, Quistin."

"Poppycock. That's what the law is."

"I'll give you the money if you don't have any."

"No. I'm not going to do it."

"No?"

He shook his head. "No."

"You need to do something," she muttered. "First Thomas' jacket and now this. You can't just do anything you want."

"I can do _whatever_ I want," he corrected her.

"No you can't."

"Yes, Haley, I can."

"Stealing is against the law, Quistin!"

"Why are you getting so upset? Did you really expect me to do what you told me?"

"Yes, well, no, I was thinking that you would… I'm not upset!" She huffed, throwing the half eaten apple into the trash.

Quistin grinned. "Listen, Haley: stealing isn't that big of a deal."

She folded her arms over her chest and crossed her legs, angrily staring at the building across the street. Quistin remained on the bench. He looked at her, smiling as if he had played a practical joke and she hadn't figured it out yet.

Haley glanced at him. "What?"

"You can't stand the fact that I'm not doing what you're telling me to do."

"Well, I did everything you told _me_ to do."

"You didn't have to."

"Well," she started, holding her tongue to allow time to think of a suitable reply. She looked at him. Once again searching his eyes for something. Truthfully, she didn't know why she did everything he told her to do, but Haley didn't want to admit it. He was right. He was always right. "Well… I'm still mad at you."

"And I'm completely fine with that."

Haley could do nothing but stare at the ground in futility, as if answers were hidden underneath the surface. There was nothing more than small pebbles and indentations in the imperfect structure. It seemed to her that Quistin was always right. Irritatingly so. She turned to him again. "Did you really get the apple in five seconds?"

"Yup."

"How?"

"I told you already: I can do whatever I want."

"How?"

"I don't know," he said standing up, "I just can."

"But what does that mean? You can do whatever you want so you can steal fruit in five seconds?"

He grinned. "Something like that."

"Quistin! Please tell me what you mean?"

Quistin looked down at her. He smiled, showing a sense of sympathy that he had never shown to her before. He opened his hand and extended it towards her. "Do you really want to know?"

She gently placed her fingers into his palms. "Yes."

"Okay." He took her other hand into his own, bringing her close to his body. "This may be a little overwhelming. So close your eyes and take a deep breath."

Haley was a little bit frightened at first. He seemed eerily serious for someone who always had a foolish grin on his face. She stepped closer, looking into his eyes, but this time she knew what she was searching for. Insecurities. Weaknesses. She didn't expect to find anything, and she did not, but, for the moment, she felt that he was really a person. Someone who had fears and emotions and not just a strange individual who did whatever he wanted. There was a method to his madness.

She closed her eyes. And took a deep breath.

"You can open your eyes now."

Something small and wet struck her face. Her eyelids flickered open. Thousands of sparkling raindrops descended from the heavens, falling around she and him. Haley wiped her eyes, briefly smiling at him. He nodded to his left. She looked to see the skyline of an enormous metropolis. Long concrete buildings pointed skyward towards the black backdrop above. Each one was different than the rest, some taller, some smaller, others larger, many were slender. Haley had never been farther than the town she was from. She especially had never been in such a city as this. She had never seen buildings so high.

The lights were so fascinating. Like sparkling golden reflection of the stars. They all looked so beautiful. They seemed to dance and flow with the rain. Haley giggled. It was just so amazing. Her gaze followed the glowing lights to the building in front of her. Its pointy rooftop was beneath eye level causing her to look down. They stood on the edge of a skyscraper, gazing below at the little moving dots. So many people. Rushing past each other like oiled clockwork. So many automobiles. Flooding the streets like an aggravated storm of metal.

She wrapped her arms around his waist to make sure she did not fall.

He laughed.

It was then that she realized what had happened, or lack of knowledge of what had happened. One second they were in town. He told her to close her eyes and take a deep breath and then one second later she was on top of an edifice, staring down at the great contemporary flow of a city.

She awkwardly stepped off of the ledge, dizzily grasping at nothing to gain balance.

"Amazing, isn't it?" Quistin mused.

"What… what hap… what happened?"

He looked at her. "You don't look so well."

She held her stomach. "I don't… I don't feel so well."

"It might help if you sit down."

"I can't breath… Quistin, I can't breath... it's all blurry."

"Oh, I know the feeling. It happened to me the first time too. Take a deep breath. I think you'll be fine."

Haley keeled over and vomited.

Quistin twisted his face in disgust. "That's gross."

"Sorry," she said.

"It's fine. Not like I've never seen vomit before."

Haley drowsily gave an awkward smile before fainting.

Quistin put his hands on his waist and sighed. "I also did that the first time."

* * *

Haley woke up to the soft pitter-patter of raindrops against the window frame. Her nose crinkled a little as she smiled, thinking she was coming out of a wonderful and strange dream. The liquid booms echoed quietly off of the walls like a million fingers drumming on wood. The rain was subtly soothing to her. She turned over to her side. A dull pinching beat softly against her left temple, but it slowly subsided the more awake she became.

"Oh, going to school today would be such a bore," she stated to herself.

Suddenly realizing what she had said, Haley shot up.

She hadn't gone to school.

It wasn't a dream.

* * *

"Good afternoon, Dear Haley."

Haley entered into a dimly lit kitchen of a very wealthy apartment home. Shiny new appliances. Comfortable living space. A grey iridescent glow flowed onto the furniture. Running lines distorted the beauty of the city and lights. Haley groggily shuffled pass the dining room tile and took a seat at the island bar.

"Good afternoon," he repeated.

She held her head momentarily before forcing a smile. "Good afternoon to you too, Quistin."

"I hope you're hungry."

"Not really."

"Oh, well I found some cereal in the cupboard."

She looked at him. "Where are we?"

"I don't know. An elderly couple's apartment judging from the pictures on the wall."

A lull in the conversation easily slipped between them. The clatter of bowl against table softly disrupted it. Haley sat still. Smiling at particularly nothing. Enjoying the odd feeling of misplaced happiness that she seemed to be grasping for the first time. Quistin dipped his spoon and brought it up to his mouth, purposely munching loudly, a silly grin on his face as he glanced towards Haley for a reaction. She just chuckled and joined him at the table.

Something had changed within her. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but the smallest annoyances seemed to be welcome in her life. Rain would have been bothersome the day before, but today it was pleasing, like a tiny orchestra tuned just for her attentive ears. The dark grey clouds of the storm would have been an omen of something terrible, but now it was a great painting of beauty, a tapestry amongst the cinderblock walls. And everything meshed together perfectly. Perfectly. Without a care at that very moment, Haley sat back in her chair and enjoyed her surroundings.

"Sit up straight, Haley."

Immediately she formed her back to the chair's wooden frame.

Quistin laughed.

She glared at him. "You're mean."

"True."

Haley relaxed slightly, a grin on her lips. Everything seemed to be so clear. She had awoken with clarity. She had awoken to change. But it seemed too good to be true.

"This isn't a dream, is it?" she asked softly, as if saying out loud would make the perfection disappear.

"Why do you ask?"

"I don't know." She looked past his face to the window behind him. The raindrops slowly sliding down the glass. She admired its subtle attractiveness. "Have you ever seen such a beautiful storm?"

"Only all the time."

"Liar."

He smiled. "Once or twice."

"I don't know why I've never appreciated it before."

Quistin looked at her stare at the window behind him. He couldn't help but smile at her. "I don't know why you've never appreciated it before either."

Haley brought her leg up on the seat of the chair, folding her arms over it and resting her chin on the back of her palms. Aimlessly drifting around in her subconscious was a memory. A certain memory that pertained with her grandfather and a violent storm. Haley was a young girl then, maybe five or six, and a terrible thunderstorm was exploding right above her home. And she was frightened. Terrified. Thunderous booms echoed through the dark hallways of the mansion and blinding flashes of light erupted outside the windows. If there was anybody who could stop a little girl from crying it was her grandfather. He held her close and reminded her that everything was going to be fine. And everything _was_ going to be fine.

Quistin sipped at the milk that remained in the bowl. "What are you thinking about?"

Haley blinked. She was back in the kitchen. She looked at him. "Oh… nothing, I suppose."

"That's a whole lot of nothing."

She smiled carelessly. "I was thinking of my grandfather."

"Really. Why?"

"The storm. It reminded of a time when he comforted me when I was afraid of a storm similar to this one." Haley sighed. "I loved him very much."

"What happened? Don't you still love him?"

"I do," she replied. "I'll will never stop loving him, but… he died not too long ago."

"Oh."

"He had a disease," she continued. "The disease slowly took away his motor functions... Trapped him inside his body… He was such a strong man. He was so impressive. So powerful… It's difficult to think of him when he was weak and helpless. It didn't begin to affect him until I was in kindergarten and for ten years I had to watch as my hero slowly decayed. It was so sad to see him that way. I knew he wanted to do more. He was mentally capable to do anything he wanted but his physical body wouldn't allow it…I knew – I _know_ he was miserable too because the night he died I was with him. He smiled for the first time right before he passed… as if a huge weight was lifted off of his chest. His eyes sparkled like he was finally free from it all. He died a happy man because he didn't have to endure living in a shell with no way out anymore, shackled in the chains of the disease."

Quistin exhaled. He was not expecting to hear that.

The pinching in her temple had subsided, reminding her again of how they had arrived in the stranger's apartment. Haley wiped her glossy eyes, ready to change the subject. She took a deep breath, knowing what she wanted to ask him. This time asking something intimate and personal wasn't so hard. "How do you do… whatever you did?" she inquired.

He thought briefly of an answer but decided to give her what she wanted to know. "I don't have an exact name for it. It just kind of happens. I think of where I want to go and then I go there. It's actually quite simple."

"That's odd."

"I can go wherever I want."

"So have you been here before?"

"I've been to this building. I've never been in this room before now."

"Why did you bring me here then?"

"You fainted and so I brought you to the closest place that had a bed… which happened to be the room right below us."

Haley smiled. "You really can do whatever you want."

He smiled back. "Better believe it, kid. I'm untouchable."

"So where else have you been?"

"Um," he shrugged. "Everywhere I guess. I've been to a lot of cities, towns, country sides… all over."

"Amazing."

"Thank you, Haley."

"I never even thought that something like… whatever you do could be remotely possible, but here we are face to face in some strange apartment in some strange city." She moved a lock of hair behind her ear. "And you want to know the weirdest part of it all?"

Quistin nodded his head.

"I feel fine."

"That's good to hear."

"Yeah. It is."

The door to the apartment opened.

Haley stood up, gravitating towards Quistin. Her joints locked. All the reasons why she felt fine suddenly became the reason why she felt anxious. She felt like a criminal, breaking and entering into someone else's home even though she did no such thing. Haley held her breath. She trembled. She was not ready to accept the consequences of her freedom and clarity.

An elderly couple entered carrying grocery bags for the week. A quick conversation beginning with a startled comment that the door was unlocked and a concerned notion that someone had broken in ended with some words of comfort and that if people had entered, they probably already gone.

"What do we do?" Haley asked.

Quistin smiled and patted her on the back. "Nothing."

"What?"

The man entered first, dropping the bag of groceries. His wife came second, just as shocked.

Quistin just beamed a smile.

Haley stood rigid.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?"

"I apologize, good sir, for the intrusion," Quistin replied casually, "but my girlfriend and I needed a place to stay. The door was already unlocked so we helped ourselves. Do not worry, we did not steal anything except one bowl of cereal, which I again apologize for."

Haley looked at him wondering how he could come up with such a story so quickly. Although he didn't quite lie, he said it with such innocence that it could most definitely be the entire truth. She glanced back at the elderly couple. Speechless. Unable to add anything.

The man gingerly picked up the fallen contents of the paper bag, keeping a suspicious eye on the two of them. His wife held her hands close to her heart. "Oh, you poor things, you should have helped yourself to something more than just a bowl of cereal. Are you hungry?" She gestured with her hand, inaudibly asking for his name.

"Quinn," he stated. "You can call me Quinn."

She looked at Haley. "And what's your name, young lady?"

Haley's eyes got bigger. Suddenly speaking was hard to do. She looked at Quistin for help. He only smiled and winked. It was the best sign to tell her to let go of what she was taught. Proper or improper. She didn't know these people. Neither did Quistin. _Names are symbolic._

She knew what he wanted her to do too.

"My… name?… my name is… Amy."

She took a deep breath, finally able to breathe.

"Well Quinn? Amy? I can make something for you. It won't be a bother."

Quistin stood up picking up the bowl. "That's very generous of you, Madam, but I think we shall be leaving. I would not want to over-welcome my stay," he winked, "since we were not even welcome to be here in the first place."

The man nodded his head.

"Please stay," she said again, "It looks like you've had a long day. Have some more cereal or some more milk for the road."

Quistin handed her the bowl. "Thank you so much. You are so kind, but we really must be going."

"Okay," she said, a little disappointment in her voice. "Well I hope you're journey is kind to you. I'm sorry you couldn't stay longer."

The man crossed his arms and scoffed to which she playfully pinched him.

Quistin bowed slightly and exited. "Thank you so much."

Haley's joints started to loosen. She grinned, as if she was getting away with something for the first time. "Good-bye," she said happily, "I will always remember your kindness!"

He gently pushed her towards the door. "Come on, Amy, we need to go now."

"Your home is so lovely!"

He couldn't help but smile.

"Your bed is very comfortable!"

He grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the entrance way. She laughed as the door closed.

"You're quite energetic right now."

"That was fun!"

"We didn't do anything."

"Well… it was fun anyway."

"Where do you want to go next?"

"Uh… what time is it?"

"Probably around two o'clock."

"I should get back home."

"You _should_, Haley, but will you?"

She smiled. "I guess we can stay out a little bit longer."

"Excellent! Take a deep breath."


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

**

* * *

**

Haley grabbed the handle of the doorknob and turned it slightly.

She did not expect to see her parents standing just on the other side. Critical eyes and folded arms. Her mother narrowed her gaze, gently tapping her index finger on the skin between her bicep and forearm. Her father's lips were pierced and he shook his head disapprovingly.

She smiled innocently. "Hello, Mother. Hello, Father-"

"Don't 'Hello, Mother' me!" Her mother screeched. "Do you have any idea what time it is?!"

She didn't have the answer. She shook her head.

"It's four thirty in the afternoon."

Haley stood still, looking at their faces, not knowing what to say.

"Go into your father's office. _I'll_ be in shortly."

Haley quietly nodded her head and exited. She glanced back to see if her parents were watching her leave. They were not. Rather, her mother was pinching the bridge of her nose, rocking back and forth like a swaying tree on the brink of hurricane's fury. It was quite odd to see her mother in such a broken state. It was even more odd that she didn't care. Haley was actually happy to see her mother's frustration. It was something different.

She walked into her father's study room, quickly glancing at the pistol that continued to sit alone on the shelf behind the desk. She looked away. The office was silent, leaving Haley to her thoughts, which happened to linger on the day that she had. It was a wonderful day, full of intrigue and fascinating revelations. For the first time she felt like she was free. All of the euphoric emotions that squirmed in her stomach when she looked up at the sky blue ceiling were finally tangible. She finally found herself flying free, like a bird spreading its wings and soaring above the world. She got her first taste of independence.

And it was all thanks to a Sir Quistin Jibbles.

"Haley!"

She drew her eyes to her mother's chiseled face, instinctively straightening her back and placing her hands into her lap.

"Are you listening to me?"

"I'm sorry, Mother, I was not."

She huffed furiously. "_Ladies always listen when spoken to-_"

"I know, Mother."

"What?"

Haley nodded her head in affirmation. "I know. You've said it before."

Her mother was very surprised. She had to take a breath to recompose herself and reassess the situation. "I don't care if I've said it before," she managed to spit out. "I will say it a hundred times until you learn proper behavior."

She rolled her eyes.

"Don't roll your eyes at me, young Lady! Now sit up straight and pay attention."

Haley hesitated, but finally conformed her body to her mother's orders.

"I got a phone call this afternoon… Do you know what it was about?"

"I have a pretty good idea."

"Don't get smart with me. The Headmaster called and told me that you were not at school today."

Haley hid a smile.

"Is that true?"

The smile disappeared. It dawned on her that she was not ready to accept the consequences of her actions. She had never done anything so drastic before. She had never disobeyed her parents before. Their judgment was going to be harsh, and everything that happened that day seemed inconsequential. Haley swallowed the lump in her mouth, allowing an uncomfortable amount of silence to slip between them.

"Well?"

"Yes. It's true."

"I can't believe what I'm hearing."

Haley didn't know why she felt ashamed. There was a lingering feeling that somehow she had disappointed her mother. The odd thing was that Haley had been opened to a new realm of life allowing her to not to question her actions, but to wonder why her mother was acting the way she was. All she did was have fun.

As her mother ranted on about the delicacies of proper etiquette, Haley thought about everything Quistin had told her. No longer concerned with what her mother was saying, she recalled his lessons for the first time on her own accord prompting a growth in her systematic mentality that was surprisingly welcome.

_Words and names are symbolic_. Words don't have to mean anything more than the definition given by any one person. She understood that one. If a rose were not called a rose, it would still smell just as sweet. Maybe her mother did not understand her new definition of 'fun.' But even if she did, would it matter?

_There's no such thing as 'can't'._ Everything is in the realm of possibility unless restricted by laws. Quistin could do whatever he wanted. His certain ability allowed him to disobey the laws of physics, and since he chose not to obey those laws, he also chose to disobey the laws of society. She understood her limitations, but being with Quistin changed that-

"Go to your room. I took the liberty of retrieving your homework from school. Do all of it."

Haley realized that she had drifted off again but nodded her head, slowly stood up and headed off towards the stairway.

She stood in the doorway to her room. The desk was just on the far side; the stack of paper that was her homework flittered slightly from the wind through the open window. Haley sighed. "I really don't want to do my homework," she groaned. "There's so much more I could be doing. There's so much more I could be seeing." Her fingers ran across the surface of the white sheets, "This is so insignificant. It's so meaningless."

"What is?"

Haley smiled when she heard the familiar voice. "School and homework," she replied. "It's all so… blah."

"Excellent word to describe it."

"Thank you."

"So if you think its so meaningless then why are you here?"

"My mother told me to."

"Oh," he said sarcastically, "your mother told you. Well, then, you should get started on it right away."

"Right away," she joked.

Quistin sat on her bed. "I guess you got in trouble then."

"I did."

"But your parents didn't kill you."

"Nope."

"That's good to hear."

Haley only laughed.

He chuckled to himself. "Did you tell them that you were with me?"

"No I didn't. Should I have?"

"Probably should've. They might have lessoned your punishment if they knew you were with the Governor's son."

"Maybe I will next time." She sat down next to him, moving a lock of hair behind her ear. "Or maybe I should tell them that I was with some guy named Quistin."

Quistin shrugged. "If you want. I don't think you'll get the same response."

Haley laughed.

He looked at the different dimensions of her room. Every aspect of her life was very well placed into the little space. Straight lines. Dull colors. And an oddly placed blue ceiling. "Your room is so boring."

She playfully nudged him with her hip. "Thanks, jerk."

"It is," he said. "It's so… blah."

"I suppose you have some simple solution to my blah-ness."

"I do, indeed, Dear Haley. I do indeed."

She moved closer as if to listen to a secret. "And what would that be?"

"You need to get out of this room."

"Right now?" she asked, a little bit surprised.

"Yeah. Let's go somewhere. You don't need this."

"Well… I need it if I want good grades."

Quistin shrugged. "I guess you're doomed to a life of blah-ness then."

"I certainly don't want to be doomed to blah-ness," she retorted. There was a hint of playfulness in her voice that she never realized she could conjure up. It was both new and exciting. She was actually just happy to be talking to someone for a change.

His attention moved elsewhere, past her face to the six stringed instrument that sat quiet and alone in the corner of the room, almost forgotten. "I never knew you were a musician, Haley."

"I'm not… not really." Haley watched him stand up off of her bed, leaving a small wrinkled indentation where he used to be. She wanted to straighten out the crease, but decided against it. He did a little dance towards the guitar. The strings perked up. It had wanted to be played for so long, just waiting to be used.

"This looks pretty old." He handled it with care.

"I haven't used it in a long time."

"Why not?"

"I'm not sure. I've been busy."

"Doing what: homework?"

Haley could only shrug. "Yes."

Quistin gently plucked at the strings, letting each one ring from the wooden frame of the guitar. The sound was melodic and beautiful. She had heard classical guitarists and contemporary guitarists, but Quistin played differently than either. It wasn't magnificently beautiful, but it sounded pleasant. His fingers moved smoothly across the neck, caressed the wood, creating canorous musical notes that echoed through the open window.

Her mother was down in the garden, contemplating among the different varieties of flower when she heard the noise coming from Haley's room. She stood up, curiously eyeing the open window. "What does she think she's doing? I told her to do her homework."

Haley smiled. "That… that was really good."

He handed her the instrument. "I want to see you do it."

"I'm not very good."

"I know you know how to play it, Haley. I want to see you do it."

"Okay," she whispered as she sat up straight and placed her fingers on the strings. "But I'm not very good."

"Just play."

She nodded her head. And strummed.

Quistin stood still, watching her, a small smile creeping in the corner of his mouth.

Her mother stepped onto the first step of the staircase on her way to her daughter's room. Her irritated fingers gripped the wood.

The guitar soothingly and melodically vocalized her finger's wishes. Each chord hung in the air was immediately taken over by another. The notes complimented the rhythm. Quistin closed his eyes, nodded his head to the beat, encouraging her to play more. She pressed the guitar closer to her body and continued. A song that she did not know, yet suddenly came to her. It was hauntingly beautiful and amazing to her. It was something she never felt before.

She laughed. Squeezed the wood between her legs. She actually enjoyed playing the guitar. Something she had never felt in a long time. Haley laughed again.

Her mother stood outside the room, listening to her muffled voice of pleasure.

Unable to stop herself, she grabbed the doorknob and twisted, pushing the door open.

Haley jumped at the sudden intrusion.

Her mother stood idly in the doorway as a gust of wind abruptly pushed her hair back; hand on the knob, taking a quick glance around the room. Startled. A little confused. All was as it should have been. "What were you doing?" she hesitantly asked.

"What are you talking about?" Haley replied. She sat on her bed with the stack of homework on the floor by her feet. The first page was on her lap and she twirled a pencil between her fingers. "I'm doing my homework like you told me."

"I thought I heard… I heard the guitar."

"That's odd."

"And I heard you laughing."

Haley shrugged, hiding a smile, turning her attention back to her homework. "That's odd."

Her mother remained in the doorway, mentally contemplating what she thought she heard and what she actually saw. Turning to leave she glanced back at her daughter. Haley scribbled on the paper, stopping to think only to write another answer in the blank lines. With an unsatisfied and confused huff, the older woman left.

Haley held her breath. The lead in her pencil hung just above the paper.

Quistin opened the closet and peeked his head out. "Is she gone?"

"Yeah."

"That was close."

"How did you even do that so quickly? One thing I'm playing the guitar, the next I'm doing my homework."

He grinned. "Quick reflexes. When I… do whatever I do, and if I do it quickly enough, I think time goes slower."

"That's ridiculous. Time doesn't slow down."

"It could."

"How?"

He looked at her ready to answer. After finding that he didn't have the appropriate one, Quistin chuckled. "I don't know. When I do whatever I do, that's just what happens."

Haley exhaled in annoyance. "We need to make a name for your ability."

He grinned like a little child at the chance to name his ability. And he had just the name. "How about: Quisting?"

"No," Haley laughed, "that's ridiculous. Think about what happens when you do it."

"Well… when it happens I feel as if I'm hopping on one foot repeatedly until I get to where I need to go."

"Hopping?"

"Yeah, but it only lasts a few seconds because then I go to where I need to be. The feeling is more of the exhaustion from hopping around."

"Then lets call it a 'hop'."

"That just sounds stupid."

"A jump?"

"No. That sounds even more stupid."

"We need to call it something!"

"A Quistin Hop."

"That sounds even more ridiculous than the last one, but okay."

"So then to answer your last question," Quistin changed the subject, "Time can and _does_ slow down."

Haley nodded her head. "Fine. I guess. You can reappear wherever you want, so I guess time can slow down too."

"I'm so proud of you!" He sat next to her and gave her a hug.

"What was that for?"

"You lied to your mother."

"No, I didn't."

"You didn't tell her what you were actually doing."

She could only smile.

"And," he added, "you adjusted to the new situation quickly. Very quickly. I half expected you to be just as startled as she was."

"Give me more credit than that."

"In the future, I shall, Dear Haley."

She put down the paper and sat closer to him. "That was actually really exciting. What if we got caught?"

"Wouldn't have mattered to me. She still thinks I'm the governor's son."

"But what about me? She was already mad at me."

"But it felt pretty good lying to her, huh?"

"Yeah," she replied. "It did."

"It's so much fun getting away with things."

"Like stealing?"

He sighed. "Are we on that again?"

"No. But you get away with a lot of things."

"And it's so much fun!"

A soft wind blew into the room from the open window. She looked up at the blue ceiling. Freedom. A wish. She looked at Quistin. "I want to do that."

"Do what?"

"Get away with things."

"Really?"

"I want to have fun."

"What about your parents?" he jested.

"I don't care. I'll figure something out."

Quistin smiled. "Then let's go do something fun."

**

* * *

**

It was a simple plan: Don't get caught.

Every day Quistin and Haley did something different. Something out of the ordinary or at least something she had never done before, which was a lot in retrospect. Everyday was a new experience. Swimming in the ocean. Walking in the forest. Eating lunch in a new city or a new town. Exhilarating things to an otherwise monotonous life.

The hard part was trying to think of alibis.

Sometimes she faked being sick just so she could go to another exotic new place. Other times she would steal away a few minutes passing to her seven class periods. Ditching during _lunch_ was easy, but ditching during _class_ was tricky. Haley also used her bathroom breaks to sneak away for a few minutes.

Intricate planning for each day gave her the never-ending possibilities of freedom.

She was getting away with something.

She was disobeying her parents.

And she felt good doing it.

She enjoyed every second of the freedom. Every second with Quistin.

"And if you look here," the teacher began.

Haley blinked her eyes, trying to listen to what was being said. But it was hard to pay attention when her mind was most definitely on something else. Her feet shifted like impatient baby chicks waiting to be fed. She smiled with anticipation.

Haley sat in her chair, squirming to contain the joy of seeing her friend again.

The second hand on the face of the clock moved quietly across the numbers bringing her closer to lunchtime. It seemed like it was taking forever. She glanced at it. Five minutes until lunch. She turned back to her teacher and tried to listen to the lecture but she glanced back at the clock. Four minutes and forty-two seconds.

The smile on her face would not leave. Haley was too excited.

The day before she and Quistin agreed that they would meet each other behind the stairs of the Health and Science building so he could bring her to a restaurant that was, as he put it: "The best restaurant in the world." She could hardly wait. Everyday was an adventure. Another 'something' to get away with. Another 'something' to hide from her parents. It was amazing how quickly she learned how to lie. To hide. To disobey the words of her mother.

The bell finally rung.

Haley bolted out of her chair. She was out of the building before anybody else.

Quistin leaned up against the wall. He straightened the jacket to his suit. He was waiting right where he said he would.

"Hello, Dear Haley. Are you ready?"

She smiled at the given nickname that she had learned to endear and took his hand into hers. "Let's go!"

* * *

In a bustling metropolis, on a street that pedestrians traveled to on a daily basis was a small little restaurant. It was on the corner between two towering buildings, only emphasizing its puny stature. A few loosened bricks from the wall gave it definition. A smeared handprint on the window from an admiring young child still remained from the day before. But it was full. So many different individuals inhabited the inside. Haley leaned on the tips of her toes anxiously waiting to enter. It seemed like Quistin was right: It really must be the best restaurant in the world.

"Let's go inside."

Quistin stuffed his hand into his pockets only to retrieve a piece of lint. His face twisted in disappointment. "I, uh, seem to be out of money."

"Did you have any money to begin with?"

He smiled innocently. "Not really."

Haley shrugged. "I have money, but I left my bag in my class."

"Really?" he chuckled.

"I was the first one out of the building."

"You just forgot your stuff?"

"It's okay. I'll just get it later."

Quistin nodded his head. "Alright then. Well, what do you want to do then?"

She looked through the glass at the food. At the people. She sighed unhappily. "I really wanted to eat here. I can't believe we don't have any money."

"Well," he said, "that's never stopped me before. I don't know why it would now."

She smiled.

He smiled and took her hand.

Haley closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6**

* * *

In the corner of the farthest wall from the kitchen, the two teenagers sat. Haley happily took in the aroma of the classical restaurant. From the outside it looked small and cramped, but on the inside it was comfortable and roomy. Tabletops were covered with quaint burgundy colored cloths with checkered colored napkins next to the salt and pepper shakers. A bottle of ketchup and mustard stood next together like an old married couple. There were so many different types of people there. Old. Young. Children. Married. Couples dating. She was impressed.

"Order whatever you want. It's on me."

"Right," she quipped, "since you're so full of cash."

He chuckled. "What do you want?"

She looked at the menu. Since the establishment was just an old diner the most expensive thing was a burger with extra cheese. Haley shrugged. "Are the burgers here any good?"

"The best in the world. Didn't I tell you that?"

"You did. I was just making sure."

"You won't regret it."

"Ok then I want it with extra cheese."

Quistin slid out of his chair. "Order me one too. I need to use the restroom."

She watched him leave his seat before bringing her attention back to the new world before her. There was a small grease stain at the corner of the table. It gave the restaurant character. For a long time now, Haley found herself finding hidden treasures within the smallest of intricacies in life. She enjoyed the little detail that made the classic diner a _classic diner_. From the handprint on the window to the fifty-year-old waitress polishing the silverware with her breath. It was nice to be somewhere that wasn't boring and straight-laced. A change of scenery was welcome.

"Has anybody helped you?"

Haley was pushed out of her thoughts and back into the moment. "Um, no. No one has yet."

The waiter was probably in his late thirties. He had on a flannel shirt tucked in the front but flopping out in the back. The apron was just a little bit messy from previous encounters with stubborn dishes. Small prickly hair covered his cheeks and the tip of his chin. Although he looked rugged, he had a kind smile. He pulled out a notebook, dabbing his tongue on the tip of the pen to make sure it was still working. "What'll you have?"

"Two cheeseburgers with extra cheese."

"Want fries with that?"

"Please."

"Alright," he said flipping the notebook with a whip of his wrist. "I'll be out with your order in minute."

"Thank you."

"What did you get me?"

Haley still was not used to how Quistin was able to appear wherever he wanted unannounced, but she was able to keep herself from any startled jump by reminding herself that it was Quistin who kept reappearing unannounced. Somehow just knowing that soothed her. "A burger with cheese," she replied.

"It's delicious. You-"

"Won't regret it. I know, you said that already."

He smirked. "Well it's true."

"And what if I do, Quistin? What if I do regret eating the burger with extra cheese?" There was a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"I don't know. No one has ever not liked the burgers," he mused, pausing to playfully think about the inquisition. "I suppose the world will implode."

"I certainly don't want the world to implode!"

Quistin chuckled. "We are losers, do you know that?"

Haley laughed as well.

"Actually," he interjected himself. "I'm _awesome_. So that means: you're the loser."

She forcefully pushed his shoulder, knocking him out of his chair. With a loud whoop he lost his balanced and crashed onto the floor. The entire corner of the restaurant was immediately filled with Haley's laughter.

Quistin quickly got up. He nodded to any who was startled by his fall. "Sorry, that was me falling out of my chair… I'm alright though, in case you were wondering. I'm fine… You may continue eating your lunch."

Haley covered her mouth, trying to contain the fit of giggles that were bubbling forth. Quistin glanced at her and smiled, trying not to laugh as well. Try as they did, the outburst of laughter filled the restaurant anyhow. They couldn't help themselves. Their laughter startled some customers. And the flannel shirted waiter peeked his head out from the kitchen to investigate the disruption.

"I'm sorry," she said between cackles, "are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I think I may have broken my back but other than that I'll be fine."

"That was hilarious!"

"Thank you so much, Dear Haley, for making a fool out of me."

"You are most certainly welcome, Quistin."

He chuckled, quickly glancing around. "Where's our food?"

"You!"

They turned their heads.

The man with the flannel shirt stomped out from behind the kitchen towards their corner, his thick, strong finger pointed at Quistin. "I thought I told you to never come back here!"

Haley looked at her friend. "What is he talking about?"

"Oh. This guy. He's the owner of this place."

"What? The owner?"

"Don't worry."

"I told you to never come back here!"

Quistin calmly shook his head. The smug grin smearing across his face. "Please don't yell. There's a lady present."

"Get out!"

"No thanks. I'm still waiting for my burger with extra cheese."

"Maybe you should pay for the other burgers first!"

"You stole from this place too?"

"Don't worry about it, okay?"

"No, you _should_ worry about it!" he barked. "You either pay for your past meals or get out!"

"What are you gonna do?" Quistin challenged him.

"I'll throw you out."

"I'd like to see you try."

"Wait," Haley stood up from her chair. "Wait, we don't have to eat here. Let's go. Let's get out of here."

"No, I'm still hungry."

"I don't think he's going to let us eat."

The owner crossed his arms and staunchly stood in front of Quistin, standing up to the challenge. "I can make you give me the money if you would prefer."

"Like you could even touch me."

"No, wait, Quistin, we can go."

He shot her a glance. "I said: we're eating here, Haley."

"No we don't have to eat here, it's ok. I'm not that hungry anyhow-"

"Haley!" he interrupted. "Sit down!"

She paused, processing what had just happened, and looked at him strangely. "What did you say to me?"

The owner shook his head, putting up his hands as a sign of non-hostility. "Okay, now you're causing a distraction in my restaurant. I want you to leave."

Quistin turned to him. "No, give us our food!"

"Don't yell at him-"

"Don't tell me what to do!"

"Don't yell at her-"

"Don't tell me what to do!"

"Get out of my restaurant."

"No!"

"Please, kid. You don't even have to pay, I just want you out."

"I wasn't going to pay anyway."

Haley looked around as they argued. Customers and working staff had stopped what they were doing to watch The Owner and Quistin argue. She began to feel self-conscious. As if everyone would associate her with the disruptive teenager trying to pick a fight with the owner of the diner. It was the first time in a long time that she felt out of place. Her cheeks began to become hot and her heart started to beat faster. She didn't want to be involved in the fight. She didn't know why Quistin was acting that way. She didn't even know what she was going to do about the whole situation.

"Please," The Owner said coolly. "I'm asking you to leave politely."

"No. I want to eat."

"Then eat somewhere else."

"Come on, Quistin," she pleaded, gently taking hold of his arm. "Let's just eat somewhere else."

He brushed her off, keeping a defiant eye on The Owner. "No."

The Owner placed his hand on his shoulder. "Please-"

"Don't touch me!"

"Okay, okay."

"Who do you think you are? If I want a burger then you go get me a burger!"

"Excuse me, but who do you think _you_ are?" He grabbed his arm; "It's time for you go-"

Quistin pushed his hand away and punched him in the face.

"Quistin!"

"I told you not to touch me."

Haley took hold of his face, forcing their eyes to lock. "What are you thinking?"

"I… I told him not to touch me."

"So you punched him?"

"Yeah." He paused to take a deep breath. "Yeah, so I punched him."

The owner regained his balance, touching the red liquid that had seeped out above his upper lip. "I'm gonna call the proper authorities."

She looked back at The Owner. "We need to get out of here."

Quistin sighed. "Fine. Come on."

"Make sure he doesn't leave," The Owner commanded.

Quistin grabbed her hand and bounded down the hallway. Waiters and waitresses tried to block off their escape but they slipped by into the bathroom. When they opened the door, it was completely empty. They had already disappeared.

* * *

Quistin sat on the ledge of the building, looking out across the city skyline and the mechanical chaos of the bustling city streets. Cars. Pedestrians. All muddled together like clockwork. A cool breeze blew gently through his disheveled hair, swaying his bangs pass his eyes.

Haley sat beside him. Her feet dangled above the window of an unsuspecting apartment. She watched him, hoping to find a moment when she could ask about what had happened in the diner. It didn't seem an appropriate time but she had so many questions. His actions were so bizarre. Even with his abnormal personality there was a sense of consistency to it. It was strange to actually see him act differently. There were small things she noticed. Firstly, he wasn't speaking. He just sat at the ledge looking down, a glazed far-off look in his eyes as if he was replaying the entire thing in his mind over again. She also noticed that he had sighed three times. She wondered if he was regretting what he had done.

Haley took a deep breath. She had to say something. "It's nice to be back here, isn't it?"

He did not respond.

"It's different in the afternoon. The streetlights aren't on. The car lights aren't very visible… it's a lot plainer. Isn't it?"

He did not respond.

"I wonder if it'll rain tonight."

Quistin glanced towards her from the corner of his eye before bringing it back down to his shoes.

She smiled. "Good. So you are listening to me."

"Unfortunately."

She playfully nudged him with her shoulder. "Oh, you're a funny guy, aren't you, Mr. Jibbles? Got any more?"

Quistin exhaled slowly.

"Sorry… sorry if I'm rambling. I just… I want you to say something."

"Something."

"Other than that."

"I don't want to talk."

"Why? What happened back there?"

"Nothing," he said, but then quickly added, "I was hungry."

Haley wasn't satisfied. "Yeah so was I, but I didn't punch the owner in the face."

"I know, I know." He paused. "It was nothing."

"Quistin, punching someone in the face is not nothing."

"Well it doesn't really matter. It wasn't a big deal."

"It _was_ a big deal. What were you thinking?"

"Stop judging me, Haley. Drop the subject."

"I'm not judging you," she said reassuringly. "You punched that man in the face over a _burger_. There had to be another reason than: 'I was hungry'. That's ridiculous and you know it."

"Well I was."

"I'm not stupid, Quistin-"

"Did I say you were?"

"Well you're making me feel stupid by not being honest with me."

He continued to look down. He never stopped looking down. "I never meant to make you feel stupid."

"So then what? Tell me what happened."

"I said it was nothing."

"_Something_ happened back there-"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"People don't just punch other people for no reason-"

"I told you to drop it, Haley-"

"What were you thinking?"

"Drop it, Haley!"

He had yelled at her again.

It was just as surprising this time as it was the first time. She was used to being yelled at by her parents or even her teachers, but she never thought he would ever yell her. Quistin tensed his shoulders and cringed. He immediately wished he hadn't done it. A silence crept in between the two of them, but Haley wouldn't let it stay.

"What is wrong with you?"

He finally turned his head.

"Why are you yelling at me? I didn't do anything wrong."

"I'm sorry."

"No, Quistin, you yelled at me at the diner and you yelled at me now-"

"I know, I said 'I'm sorry'."

"You haven't answered my question."

Quistin just looked away.

She didn't know if that was his answer or if he was just refusing to say anything at all. Irritated, she grabbed his shoulder and forced him to come face to face. "Quistin, answer my question: Why did you yell at me?"

He shook his head. "Because."

"Because why?"

"Because… because you embarrassed me."

"Me? Embarrassed you?"

"Yes."

"That's hard to believe."

"Well… believe it," he said with less conviction.

"Of all the people to be embarrassed," she puffed. "You are crazy if you were embarrassed when I pushed you of your chair."

For an instant he looked surprised.

And Haley noticed. "What was that?"

"Uh. What was what?"

"That look. You had a look on your face."

"No I didn't."

"Yes you did. You looked like… it was like you were shocked."

He shook his head.

Haley was determined to find out. "What were you _really _embarrassed over?"

"Nothing-"

"You're not being honest with me again, and it's really starting to annoy me."

"Well, I can't control your emotions."

"Were you embarrassed when I pushed you out of the chair?"

"Um… yes." It was a lie.

"No that couldn't have been it," she retorted. "You were laughing with me."

Quistin swung his legs off of the ledge, stepping back onto the roof.

"And then The Owner showed up… and he started yelling at you. Were you embarrassed that he was yelling at you?"

He heaved an angry grunt. "No, Haley! Just drop it!"

"Stop yelling at me, Quistin!"

His hands ran through his hair. He looked up at the sky. He grunted and shook his head over and over again. Haley watched him. He looked disgruntled about something. And she wanted to know what.

"Quistin… please." Her voice was soft. And kind.

Haley stood still in the silence that followed. She wanted him to feel comfortable with his words. She wanted him to _want_ to tell her why he was acting so strangely. There had never been a time when Haley had seen Quistin behave so immaturely. So flippant.

"I was embarrassed because you wanted to leave!" he responded, forcing the words out of his stomach.

It was a surprising answer. The wind was against her back as she delicately pondered over what he meant. Of all the reasons to be embarrassed it was because she wanted to leave the restaurant. It was outrageous. It wasn't even a real reason to be upset. There was nothing more Haley could do but shake her head in disagreement. "What?"

"You wanted to leave."

"I heard that part… but why?"

"Because, Haley, I've been to that restaurant before. I told you that I wanted to take you there but you wanted to leave."

"Only because The Owner was getting angry."

"No, you didn't even let me do anything about it."

"Quistin, there was nothing you could have done about it."

"I can do whatever I want. Did you forget that?"

"No, I know you can _go_ anywhere you want, but you can't make someone do something if they don't want to."

"We were going to get our food."

"He was going to force us out of the restaurant."

"I wouldn't have let him."

"Quistin, do you know how crazy you're sounding right now?"

"No."

"You were embarrassed because I wanted to leave the restaurant."

"So?"

"You punched the owner because _I_ wanted to leave? That's completely unreasonable."

Quistin clenched his fists and unclenched them, taking deep exhales between soft taps of his shoe. He kept his back turned. He didn't want to face her. He didn't want to look into her eyes again. He didn't want to see her disappointment.

Haley walked closer to him. "Quistin."

"You don't understand," he said just above a whisper.

"What?"

He faced her. "You don't understand."

"Then help me understand. I want to know why-"

"No, Haley, if you don't understand now you'll never understand. I do what I want whenever I want. That's just a fact."

"Fine. I can accept that-"

"Good."

"But just because you can do something doesn't mean you should."

Quistin shook his head, stubbornly holding on to his only excuse. But looking at her was weakening. Hearing her voice was torture. She crossed her arms and waited for an answer. He didn't want to give the honest one. So he did what he did best: lie. He smiled. "It was all in good fun anyway."

"Are you kidding me?"

"Uh... no, of course not."

"Are you telling me that you were having fun arguing with him?"

"Sure. Why not? I was bored."

She was in shock. "I don't believe what I'm hearing."

"Haley, that's what makes life interesting-"

"Stop talking, Quistin. I'm tired of hearing what you have to say about life."

"Fine. Where do you want to go now? I know this cool place in-"

"You are incredible," she seethed through her teeth.

"Thank you."

"That wasn't a compliment. You are so undeniably and unbelievably ridiculous that it's incredible that you think I want to go anywhere with you right now."

"Haley, come on-"

"Take me back to school. I don't want to be here."

"No, come on, Haley. We were just having fun."

"No, Quistin! _We_ were not having fun."

"I was."

"I don't care anymore. Take me back!"

"Really? You want to go back to school?"

She glared at him. "I'm really starting to hate you right now."

His smile disappeared.

"Take me back now."

It wasn't a frown. It wasn't unhappiness. Haley was too angry to see it, but Quistin was hurt. There was no witty comeback. No silly pun. No smug answer. All he could do was quietly nod his head and take her hand. All he could do was take her back to school.

Haley closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

They reappeared where they had left at the beginning of lunch. But there were no students walking about. There was no hustle and bustle in the cafeteria. Haley curiously inspected the inside of a nearby classroom.

Lunch had ended.

And she was late to her next class.

"How could I have been so stupid?" she said to herself. She ran down the hallway of the school building as fast as she could move. "I'm going to be in so much trouble."

She burst through the door, out of breath and quite irritated with life.

All heads turned to her. Blood rushed to her cheeks. Haley quickly straightened her school jacket and tried to fix her messy hair. She stood still waiting for something to happen. A mistake.

"I guess coming in tardy isn't enough," The Teacher said contentiously, "you had to make a huge disruption in class too."

Haley rolled her eyes. "There's gonna be a lot of disruptions in life, Mr. O'brien, get used to it."

"Excuse me? You do not come into my classroom late and talk back to me."

"Sorry." She wasn't.

He huffed. "Since you're in such a smart mood you can finish this problem on the board."

Haley begrudgingly trudged over to the board. She felt the dagger-like stares of the students around her, and although she was aware of their judgmental looks, she did not care. She was too angry to care. Haley was stuck in with her own thoughts.

There were two foremost emotions running through her at that moment: irritation and anger. She was angry that Quistin had brought her back to school late and she was tardy to class. There would most definitely be a Ladies' Recital when she got home. And she was irritated at Quistin. His entire argument was ridiculous. It was unreasonable. Why would he care that she wanted to leave? Why would he feel embarrassed that she wanted to leave the diner?

It was interesting to her because Quistin didn't seem like a person who cared about a lot of things. The fact that he cared about what she thought was odd. And unexpected. His actions were confusing. He said that she wouldn't understand. Why wouldn't she understand? Why wouldn't he help her understand?

"Having a little trouble?"

She blinked profusely, suddenly finding herself at the chalkboard with a piece of chalk in her hand, standing in front of an algebraic equation. She looked at Mr. O'brien. "What?"

"Finish the problem."

Haley looked at the equation. To her it was just lines and squiggles. And there was too much on her mind to calculate the problem. The piece of chalk hung just above the surface of the blackboard. "I don't know how to do it."

There were a few chuckles towards the back of the classroom.

She spun around. "Whoever's laughing at me better shut up!"

"Haley, that is enough," said Mr. O'brien. "Sit down and get out a piece of paper. Maybe this will teach you to come to class on time."

She handed him the chalk, glancing quickly at her desk. She sighed. Her school bag was still in the other classroom, which she forgot to take with her to lunch. "I… uh. I don't have my bag with me."

"This is outrageous! Where is it?"

"In my fourth period class."

"Not only do you come into my class late and cause a disruption, but you are unprepared as well? What is my first rule?"

Haley sighed. "Always come to class prepared."

"So what do you think your consequence will be?"

"Just put me in detention already!" She didn't want to deal with anything right now.

Mr. O'brien was a taken aback by her sudden outburst.

"That's what my punishment is, isn't it?" her voice rose.

"Sit down, Haley."

"And then you'll call my parents and they'll yell at me so just do me a favor and let me go. I don't need you to humiliate me in front of the entire class who, by the way, are probably all laughing at me right now. You have no idea what kind of a day I'm having so take your superior attitude, your stupid questions, and-"

"That is enough!"

Haley crossed her arms.

"Sit down."

She glared defiantly at him before taking her seat.

* * *

When Haley got home from school she was met with the disappointed and angry stares from her mother and father. As expected. They scolded her. And yelled at her. And told her how much she had failed them. As expected. She sat in the chair, watching as The Ladies' Recital started and rose to its climax as it had always done, but did not listen to the words. She knew them already. Every word her mother spoke, every echo her father resounded, was just another note in the tired old song.

Haley was uninterested in her punishment. She was too angry to care.

There were many facets in her life that many could deem unfair or unjustifiable, but Haley was never one to complain. Before now, she did as she was told and never asked questions.

But that was before.

_Now_ was a completely different story.

Her mind was a thrashing hurricane of unanswered questions mixed with the violent jabs of frustrating emotions. She could not get her mind off of Quistin and his absolutely ridiculous claims that he was embarrassed because of her. He is never embarrassed. He had told her that he doesn't care what people think about him. What made her so different from anybody else? How come he cares what she thinks of him? And why now?

"Haley, are you listening to me?" a harsh voice cut in-between her thoughts.

She blinked herself out from the pockets of her mind. "No. No I wasn't."

Haley knew what was coming next. Her mother was going to say that ladies always listen when spoken to. But she didn't want to hear what she already knew. She didn't care if ladies always listened when they were spoken to.

"Ladies always listen when-"

"Spoken to," she finished. "I know, Mother! I don't need you telling me that all the time!"

"Don't interrupt me when I'm speaking to you, young lady-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

Her mother was shocked. Absolutely shocked. "What did you say?"

"Nothing. It doesn't matter."

"I don't like your attitude, young lady."

"Well get used to it."

Her mother puffed up with anger. Her cheeks wriggled in her shock. She could hardly speak. "Go to your room!" she finally let out.

"No!"

"No?"

"I don't want to go to my room."

"I am your mother. And you will do what I say."

"No."

She turned to her husband and shook her head. "I… she is being difficult."

He looked at Haley. "Why are you being so difficult?"

There were so many different reasons why she was being difficult. And many of them would have been better than what had immediately popped into her mind. "You always tell me what to do."

They looked at her in silent surprise.

"You're so busy trying to make me a lady..."

Her mother's irritation grew.

"You never let me have any fun!"

"Fun?" her mother yelled. "You want fun?"

"Yes I do."

"And what would you consider 'fun'?"

"I… I don't know. But you never let me have any."

"You are a lady. You are a daughter of high society."

"What if I don't want to be? Ever thought of that?"

"That's ridiculous. Of course you want to become a lady."

"No, Mother, I don't."

"Don't be absurd-"

"You're not listening to me!"

"Yes I am."

"Well you're not paying attention."

"Really."

"Do you know that I've been ditching school for the last two months?"

She was speechless.

"Yeah, you're perfect little lady has been ditching class."

Her mother's mouth hung open as she analyzed the information. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You… what?"

"You made me."

"Excuse me?"

"You're so restrictive of my life, you made me do it."

"_I_ made you do it, Haley?" she retaliated. "_I_ made you ditch school? You think running around and scraping your knees, jumping over fences and playing hooky is my fault?"

"It is your fault."

"All of your life, you have obeyed us. But suddenly now you deliberately broke rules that we have made for you… what happened to you?"

Haley was caught off guard. "Me?"

"Who helped you?"

"What?"

"You're too callow to ditch class for two months without us knowing. Who helped you?"

Haley clenched her teeth. She wanted to hurt her mother the only way she knew how. "Remember that boy you liked so much? The one who was the 'governor's son'?"

Silence was her answer.

"Well he isn't. He's just some kid off the street and I've been ditching _with him_."

"What?"

She grinned.

"Haley… I'm very disappointed in you."

Haley's grin slowly disappeared.

"Go to your room," she said.

There was a strange sense of guilt that seeped into her stomach.

"Go to your room right now."

Haley stood up and complied with her mother's command. With every floating tap of her shoe against the eloquent floor, she tried to make sense of the conflicting feeling that twisted inside of her. Why was did she feel so badly? Why did she feel so guilty? And why was she doing what her mother asked her to?

Haley walked up each step with heavy feet. A lot had just happened. She told her parents about everything. About ditching. About Quistin. She told them how she wanted to have fun and didn't want to be a lady. And she felt bad about it. Haley thought that telling them the truth would hurt them, would pain them to think that their perfect little girl wasn't exactly the lady they thought she was. And it worked: they were disappointed in her.

But she didn't feel good. She felt horribly about everything.

"Hello, Dear Haley."

The voice pulled her out of her head. She turned to the window where Quistin sat. "What are you doing here?" she growled.

"I was just in the neighborhood. Thought you might want to get some dinner or something."

His voice was nauseating to her. "What makes you think I want to go to dinner with you, Quistin?"

"Uh," he said, comically tapping his head as if in thought, "probably because you are a human being and humans usually eat dinner."

She glared at him.

His grin disappeared. "What?"

"You know 'what'."

"No, I don't."

"I'm angry with you right now-"

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"And I don't want to see you right now."

He shrugged his shoulders and smirked. "Ok. Well, how about tomorrow night?"

"Quistin!" she screamed. "I don't want to see your face ever again!"

It stung him. At first, he was speechless. A small collection of saliva ran slowly down the back of his throat. "You don't mean that," he could barely say.

"Get out."

"Haley-"

"Get out, Quistin!"

The corner of his lips quivered with the abrupt command. He looked into her eyes for any sign of friendship, but there was none. She was angry. And there was nothing he could do about it. Quistin slowly nodded his head. A small gust of wind blew the curtains connected to the window frame in front of his cast shadow.

And when they fell back against the wood, he was gone.

Haley took a deep breath, descending onto the comforter of the large bed. There was so much frustration on her lips. So many thoughts on her mind. Mixed emotions and unidentified feelings slid down the soft side of her face. Everything seemed like it had fallen apart. The initial burst of euphoria of rebellion was now a dying ember of responsibility.

She wished to fly away. She wanted to be far above the surface. Up in the clouds wrapped around her body like a blanket made just for her. She wanted freedom. Sky blue freedom.

Haley tilted her head up to the ceiling. She hadn't looked at it for weeks. A nostalgic smile slipped by unnoticed when the image of her grandfather quickly came to mind. The grandfather she loved so much. The grandfather who gave her so much comfort.

The grandfather whom she hadn't thought of anymore.

Haley turned away from the reminder that hung above her. She couldn't look at it anymore. She had almost forgotten about him. She felt guilty. She didn't deserve the freedom she wished for. And there was nothing else to do but let her eyes rain down upon the pillow cases.


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7**

**

* * *

**

Things couldn't have been worse.

If Haley thought her life was restrictive before, her opinion had drastically changed.

No longer was she restricted purely by law. No longer was it implied that she would obey the word of her parents. She had broken their trust. She had given them cause to tighten the chain around her ankle. Her outburst the evening before was devastating. To learn that their only child, a lady of high society, was a delinquent was most definitely going hurt their reputation. On top of the embarrassment of having a daughter who did not take her responsibilities seriously, there were the awful implications of who she had been with while she was not taking her responsibilities seriously. Who was this boy? How did he come into her life? These were questions that her parents could not find satisfying answers to. But the answers were unimportant for the time being.

They had a problematic child that needed fixing.

They were going to make sure it would never happen again.

Days passed and Haley found herself in a monotonous routine of going to school and coming home. She got to school on time, used the same route to walk to each class, ate at the same table during lunch, went home immediately after school had ended, did her homework in her room, and completed chores for the rest of the day until it was time to go to sleep and start the cycle all over again.

And it didn't help that she was being watched the entire time.

Her mother had hired a new limousine driver, a woman by the name of Greta, who was constantly following her as she went about her business. Greta was Haley's constant reminder that she was under the vigilant eye of her parents. Greta sat in the back of the classroom during session, outside of the bathroom stall when it was needed, at the end of the table during lunch time, and drove her to and from school.

Haley was trapped.

When she was spoken to, she politely replied. When she was asked to do something, she politely complied. Without an out of turn word. Without a complaint. It took too much energy to fight against it. The pressure of society. The law of her parents. She often found it easier to not speak at all. And so she did not. Opening her mouth had gotten her in this whole situation to begin with. Speaking out of turn probably wasn't going help it. And so she went about her mundane life, slowly getting paralyzed by the overbearing disease that she called: "parents".

Haley sat in the chair of the classroom. She kept her head down, hands in her lap, quietly awaiting her teacher to start the lesson. Once again she was the first one there. Silence and empty chairs were her company. Greta sat in the corner of the room, long, slender fingers casually flipped through the pages of a magazine while simultaneously keeping her attention on the girl in the chair. Mr. Williams busied himself with preparation for what he was going to teach that day.

As soon as the rest of the students entered, Haley felt the hot sting of their eyes. She did not look at them. She did not need to. The infamous story of the girl who ditched school with a stranger had made its way through the little private school. She knew parents whispered it to each other, teachers discussed it behind closed doors. and students gossiped the details that they knew. It was scandalous. It was controversial. It was the most exciting thing that had happened in a long time. And everybody talked about it.

"Did you do last night's homework?" Thomas whispered from his seat.

Haley pulled the school bag out from underneath her seat and handed him what he wanted. She quickly glanced at his face. She wanted to talk to him, but as soon as she thought about it, her eyes went to Greta. Her heart beat more quickly. She looked away. Was it allowed? She did not know. And since she did not know she did not try. Haley only nodded her head when he gave the sheet of paper back and brought her eyes on the teacher.

Even though she did what she was told, Haley found it extremely difficult to do pay attention in class. It didn't matter which class. It didn't matter what time. Her mind was always on something else. There was so much that reminded her of what she used to have. Bathroom breaks were little reminders of when she met Quistin in secret to go who knows where for only a few minutes. Sitting in class before lunch brought back memories of watching the clock, waiting in anticipation of the next meal, wondering where they would go next. It reminded her of eating exotic foods or dining at quaint locations.

Almost everything reminded her of times with Quistin.

So many memories were associated with happiness. So many laughs. So many games. She couldn't even remember why she used to be angry with him. The feeling had left and it was replaced with a longing for it all to go back to the way it was before. Haley wanted to _do_ whatever she wanted again. She wanted to _go_ where ever she wanted to again. She wanted to be with her friend, her friend who could do whatever and go where ever he wanted.

But he was no longer in her life. He couldn't be. Her parents had control over her life and had made her respond unkindly to him. Quistin tried to make contact with her on a few occasions, and each time she told him to leave for fear of getting in even more trouble. She didn't want to do it. She wanted to tell him how much she missed him, how much she wished she could leave with him, but she was trapped by her parent's rules, and this time she didn't have a choice. She had to obey them.

And so she couldn't go back to the life she used to have.

She couldn't do whatever she wanted. She couldn't go where ever she wanted.

It slowly tore away at her heart.

"Haley."

She blinked, pushing her thoughts aside for the time being. "Yes?"

Greta crossed her arms. "Class is over."

Haley, realizing that she was still sitting in her chair, looked at her teacher, who sat at his desk, busily grading papers. She apologized, grabbed her bag and walked out, followed closely by The Limousine Driver.

* * *

A breeze blew softly in through the space between the window and the frame. Haley looked up from doing her homework to feel the coolness on her skin, but it was short lived. Her mother closed the window and drew the curtains, reminding Haley that there was a lot of work to be done. She had no time to be distracted by the outside.

Haley quietly nodded her head as her mother left the room.

The dark strokes of the pen etched its mark into the paper. She tried to keep her concentration on the task at hand, but she found it increasingly difficult. The outside world beckoned to her. Hesitantly she reached to the fabric to peek out at beauty, but she stopped. Something held her back: the thought about what her mother would say if she saw her staring to the outside. She would say that it was a waste of time. She would rebuke her and set more restrictions than she had before.

Haley left it alone.

She looked up at the blue ceiling. If she could not look at the real sky, the blue ceiling would be its substitute. Looking at it brought back memories of childhood, when she used to look at it often, when she used to look at it longingly. When she hoped for independence. There is so much naivety in the hopes of a young child, and hers were no different. She wished for something she had never experienced.

But that was before Quistin.

Quistin brought her closer to it than she could ever wish. And now this blue ceiling. It was the closest she could get to freedom.

An image of her grandfather briefly passed, taking her breath along with it. He was such a good man. He did everything in his power to make her happy. But all of that power was taken away by the imperfection of flesh, leaving him trapped inside a body that knew all too well of what it used to have.

Haley closed her eyes and reflected on her grandfather.

He looked so happy the day he died.

No more pain. No more frustration.

He was finally free.

A soft voice from behind interrupted her thoughts. "Haley?"

She bit her lip, fighting every inclination to respond.

"Haley. I want to say something."

"Go away, Quistin," she whispered.

"Can you at least look at me?"

It took all of her strength to shake her head.

"I... I just want to say I'm still sorry for how I acted."

"I know. You've said it before." Every word had to be delicately chosen.

"I know I have... but you still seem angry with me."

Where was her mother? She might come up into the room at any second. What would happen if she found him there? Haley didn't want him to get in trouble with her parents. She did not want to get in trouble with her parent's either. Hearing his voice again just made it harder to act. "Quistin," she managed to let out. "Please, just go."

He did not respond.

"Quistin, please." She turned around.

He was already gone.

Haley took a deep breath. Wiping her eyes, she glanced at the clock.

It was six forty. Dinner is every night at seven.

She could not be late.

Haley dreaded the repetitious monotony of dinner.

"How was your day today?"

"It went very well, Dear."

"That's good to hear."

"Jackson brought in another client."

"Really? How many does that make?"

"Two in the last two months. We're all quite impressed with him."

"I've always liked Jackson."

"He is quite an employee."

"Doesn't he have a son?"

"I think he does."

"What is his name?"

"I don't know."

"I used to know his name. He's in Haley's class."

"Oh?"

"What is his name, Haley?"

"Thomas."

"Thomas! That's right."

"I'll ask Jackson tomorrow to make sure."

"Be sure to make a note of it. How was your day today, Haley?"

"It was okay."

"Just okay? Were there any problems?"

"No."

"Then why was just okay?"

"It went well."

"Good. Greta tells me that you've been absent minded lately."

"I, uh... I don't know what she means."

"She says that it doesn't look like you are paying attention in class."

"I do pay attention in class."

"Well, this is what she tell me."

"Her grades have been satisfactory, Dear."

"Your father is correct. So everything must be well then."

"Everything must be well."

"Is everything well, Haley?"

"Yes, Mother. Everything is well."

* * *

At the start of the next day, Haley wanted nothing more than to just have everything go on without her. She did not want to wake up. She did not want to go to school again. She did not want to deal with the stressful anxiety of Greta's watchful eye. It would make everything so much easier if she wasn't there to live it. Life was choking her. Life was killing her. She wanted to live again and what she was doing wasn't living. She was trying to survive in shell that held nothing but misery.

The limousine stopped and Greta stepped out, opening the door so Haley could do the same. She followed behind the young woman. As they walked down the sidewalk towards the campus, Greta noticed that Haley looked different. There were days when she looked overly sad and inattentive but this was different. She couldn't quite place a word on what it was, but Haley looked different.

Haley walked in a raging sea invisibly. Students brushed passed her as they made their way up the stairs. Others did not notice her drift by in silence. She did not notice when someone laughed or when people looked her way. Haley was too busy in reminiscence. Playing the silly game with Quistin in town. Laughing so hard her sides hurt. Standing above the sparkling metropolis with Quistin. The breathtaking view. The first time she felt free. The memories were ingrained permanently into her mind. What she used to do. What she used to have.

"Where is your bag, Haley?"

She blinked and reached for the strap around her shoulder. It was not there. "My bag?"

Greta sighed. "Did you forget it in the house?"

"No, it's... it's in the car."

"Are you ok?"

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm fine, Greta. May I go back to get it?"

She looked at the young girl. There was something different about her. "Yes. I'll tell Mr. Williams that you will be a little bit tardy. Make it quick."

Haley ran down the steps as quickly as she could. How could she have forgotten her bag? How could she have been so stupid? Now she'll be late to class and Greta will tell her parents and she'll go through the Lady's Recital all over again. Just thinking about it reminded her how much she hated life.

The bag was right where she left it: in the back seat. Grabbing it, she swung the strap around her shoulder and headed back to the campus building, but she did not expect to see Quistin standing in front of her.

"Haley-"

"Quistin! What are you doing here? I told you to stay away." She looked around the empty campus grounds in fear of being spotted.

"I need to tell you something."

"I know you are sorry, Quistin. You've said it before. You need to leave before she sees you."

"No, I want to tell you something else."

"Quistin," she said again, pushing him farther from the building. "Please. She can't see you. I don't want you to get in trouble."

He stopped and grabbed her arms. He looked into her eyes. "Haley, I-"

"Haley!"

They turned their heads.

Greta walked down the steps. "So _this_ is why you've been acting so strangely. You were going to meet him again behind your parent's back."

"No I wasn't," she pleaded. "It's not what it looks like."

Quistin stepped back. "Haley, I..."

Greta grabbed Haley's arm. "Your parents are going to hear about this."

She struggled to explain the situation, but anything she said was immediately ignored. Greta forced her into the limousine. Haley looked back at Quistin just as he disappeared into nothingness. As Greta continued to berate her for being deceptive, Haley could only lay her head against the window and let the world drive by. She could already feel the restrictions of her parents get tighter around her neck.

"How could you?"

"What were you thinking?"

"Did you really think you would get away with it?"

Haley sat in front of her mother and father. Her father had to come home from work. He was not happy about what he heard over the phone. And he was not happy that he had to leave work to deal with the situation. Her mother was furious. Not only did she leave work as well, but she personally called the school to tell them that she was taking her out for the day to deal with the situation.

And Haley sat in front of her mother and her father.

"I can't believe you tried to ditch class again."

She shook her head weakly. "I wasn't trying to ditch class."

"Greta saw you with him."

"I know, but I was just getting my bag from the car."

"Of course. The bag you just _happened_ to forget in the limousine."

"I didn't forget it on purpose."

"Greta told me that you were acting differently. You were planning something."

Haley could not believe what she was hearing. "You're not listening to me."

"You thought you could get away with it again."

"No, I wasn't trying to-"

"You will never learn, will you?"

"Mother, please let me explain-"

"Your father and I will need to put more restrictions on you."

"More?" she whispered.

It sounded preposterous. What more could they possibly take away? They already took away so much, how could they take more? She felt the chain around her ankle get shorter. She felt the grip around her neck get stronger. Her mother and father continued on, telling her what she could and could not do. Setting the restrictions. Putting down the rules. Like a falling bird with a broken wing, freedom slowly drew farther and farther away from her.

Her mother turned to Greta. "You may take the day off. I am going to stay home from work today. I can watch her."

"Thank you."

As she left, Haley's father stood up and straightened his jacket. "Well, I'm glad that is settled. I'm going to go back to the office."

Her mother nodded her head. She took one last look at her daughter before sighing and leaving the room to a get a drink.

Haley stayed in the chair. Defeated. Paralyzed. Weak. She managed to lift her head.

She stared at the pistol that was displayed behind her father's desk on a shelf.

And the pistol stared back...

The front door slowly opened. The empty foyer welcomed the visitor with emptiness and silence. Quistin took a step onto the hardwood floor, his shadow sprawled up against the wall. He looked at the flight of stairs that led to the second level, to Haley's bedroom. Closing his eyes

he opened them to take a look around. It was empty. She was not in her bedroom.

A muffled sound came to his ears. It sounded like someone was speaking. Walking to the window, he unlocked it and peered outside. The noise was Haley speaking to herself again through the open window down below. He grinned. She was in her father's office, just beneath where he was standing. Quistin took a deep breath and closed his eyes once more.

"They don't understand anything I'm going through," she said between a sniffle. "They will never understand."

Quistin opened his eyes. He wasn't going to let her cut him off this time. He had come to say something. He was going to say it.

"Haley, I'm really sorry I got you in trouble, but I..." he stopped short of the end of his sentence. "What... what are you doing?"

She sat just beneath the open window, hidden in the shadow of the wall. A ray of sunlight hung just above her head, falling across the wooden planks of the floor. Her body was feathered within the grey school jacket. Her legs twisted beneath her body, her pinions held unnaturally below her head, gripping a shiny pistol. She stared at it. And it stared back at her.

"What are you doing?" he asked again.

Her hair covered the majority of her face. She looked through fallen locks to him. Her voice was soft yet harsh. It cracked. "What does it look like I'm doing?"

He cleared his throat. "It, uh, looks like you're holding a pistol in your hand."

"That's what I'm doing, Quistin." She rubbed her thumb against the barrel.

"Where did you get that?"

"It's one of my father's trophies. It's still loaded."

"What are you going to do with it?" He didn't know what else to say.

"Oh," she mused, "I was thinking about pulling the trigger."

"What?" He took a step forward. "Why?"

"Yeah," she chuckled cynically. "Why. _That's_ a good question."

"Are you going to answer it?"

"You wouldn't understand."

The pistol was disturbing to look at. "Haley, give me it to me."

"No."

Taking a step forward he opened his hand, "Haley-"

"No, Quistin!" she yelled. "You don't understand!"

"I'm sorry," he stopped. Lifting his hands, he showed that he didn't want to do her any harm. She was like a startled bird with a broken wing. Jumpy. Scared. He didn't want her to do anything rash. "Don't... just don't do anything."

"You couldn't possibly understand what I'm going through," she said to herself.

"Then help me to."

"You... wouldn't understand."

"I can try... please, help me to understand."

She remained where she was. She could see the warped reflection of her face in the perfectly polished metal of the pistol. Her eyes, glazed within a soft film of tears, were pained. Quistin did not move. He stood a few feet away from her, wondering what to do next.

"You..." she said softly. "You can do whatever you want, Quistin."

"Ok..."

"They... they think they can just do whatever they want without any consequences."

"Who?"

"My parents! My mother!"

Quistin didn't reply. He didn't know what to say.

"They blame me for things I _don't_ do. They overreact to things that I _will_ do. They're always looking for something else to criticize me about!"

"I'm sorry."

"They want me to be perfect... and when I can't be they restrict me and put rules on me."

"I'm sorry."

She shook her head. "No, you're not. You can do whatever you want. You don't have parents. You don't have rules. You don't have anything to worry about."

"That's not true."

"I hate my life." She lifted the small weapon to the right temple. "I hate it."

"No, wait!" He reached to her, frozen in his shoes. He swallowed the saliva that had gathered in the back of his throat. "Haley... Haley, let's... let's just keep talking. Please."

A tear escaped. "What is there to talk about?"

Desperately, Quistin grasped at words. "Let's talk about... you."

"Why? It's not going to change anything."

"What do you want to change?"

"Everything."

"You can't change everything, Haley."

"Yes I can. One pull of the trigger and everything is changed."

Quistin cursed under his breath. That was a good answer.

Suddenly, a shrill scream echoed through the room. "Oh my goodness!"

Her mother stood in the doorway. Haley did not flinch. Quistin took a step back.

"What are you doing, Haley?" She demanded.

"What does it look like, Mother? I have a pistol to my head!"

"Put that pistol down this instant."

"No."

"Haley, this is no time to be defiant. Put it down now!"

"No! All I've ever done is listen to you and all you've ever done is make my life miserable!"

"Miserable?" Her mother scoffed. "You think your life is miserable? You live in a mansion. You go to a prestigious school. You are a daughter of high society! How can you your life be miserable?"

"You never listen to me, do you?"

"Absolutely ridiculous. I always listen to you."

"No you don't! Stop lying!"

Her mother clenched her jaw.

"I've told you before that I don't want to be a 'daughter of high society' but you never hear me!"

The last few words hung in the air. It stung the older woman like little pins. Her mother shook her head. "You are a terrible daughter."

"Hey!" Quistin stepped in. "Don't talk to her like that!"

"Who do you think you are, young man?" she retaliated.

"I'm... I'm..." he trailed off because he knew all too well that he did not have any stature of merit.

"_What_ are you?" she asked coldly.

He glared at her. "I'm just a kid."

"Precisely. You're nothing but a poor boy from the streets who conned his way into my daughter's life. I didn't make her life miserable," she spat. "You did."

Quistin could only stand silently.

"You see, boy, you are not part of this world. It's something you'll never understand. I, on the other hand, am-"

"I don't care who you are," he cut her off. "I only care about Haley."

"Excuse me?"

"I love her." he blurted. He glanced at Haley. She obviously heard him. He quickly turned his attention back to the person who had insulted him. "Which is more than I can say about you."

Haley loosened her grip on the weapon. She was completely shocked.

Her mother narrowed her eyes. "How dare you insinuate that I don't love my daughter."

"You never show it."

"_You_ ruined her life, not me."

"No!" Haley pounded the ground. "No, it's not his fault, Mother. He was the one who gave me what I wanted."

Quistin smiled to himself.

"And what do you _want_, Haley?"

She hesitated. "I wanted to be free."

Her mother chuckled. "Free from what?"

"I want to be free," Haley said with more conviction.

"Freedom? You think being on the streets is freedom?"

"You always belittle what I want!"

"What you want is ridiculous."

"You're so busy trying to make me into you."

"I am a woman of high prestige, young lady. Unlike that boy who you're defending."

"I don't care about high prestige."

"Why not?" She growled in frustration. "Why not, Haley? Your father and I have done nothing but give you the best. And all you ever do is disrespect us. All you ever do is throw it back in our face. In _my_ face!"

"Because I'm never good enough for you."

"What are you talking about? That's absurd."

"See?" Haley yelled angrily. "See? You never listen to me. I tell you something and you dismiss it."

"Fine, Haley. What do you want to say? I'm listening."

She took a deep breath. Tears welled up. Her lip quivered. The pistol still hung loosely against her skin. "You're always criticizing me for everything I do. Nothing I do is good enough."

"That's not true-"

"Any accomplishment I do isn't acknowledged-"

"Haley-"

"And all of these rules are _killing_ me!"

Her mother could not respond.

"And you'll never understand that!" She screamed between tears. "I can't do anything! I can't breath when all do you do is berate me and criticize me and put more and more restrictions on me!"

"I never knew."

"And that's why I have this pistol to my head!" She shook it violently to make her point. "I'm gonna make everything easier for everyone. You won't have a terrible daughter. And I won't be suffocating every day."

"Haley," her mother whispered. "I... I never knew."

Quistin took a step forward. "Haley. Please give it to me."

"No!"

"Doing this won't make anything better."

Salty drops of water rolled down her cheeks. "Yes it will. It will... I'll finally be free."

"You can't do this."

"You've always told me that there's no such thing as can't."

"I know I did, but... you can't... please don't." Quistin sighed.

"You don't get it. I am _miserable_ living my life-"

"Think about the lives you'll be affecting-"

"Nobody cares about me."

"I do."

"Quistin-"

"I said that I love you."

Haley stopped. She wiped her eyes. "Why do you keep saying that?"

"Because I do."

She shook her head. "I... I don't know what to say."

"Say that you won't do it. Say that you won't pull the trigger."

She shivered. The pistol shook in her loosened grip.

"Haley," Her mother finally spoke up. "Haley, I'm sorry. I didn't know you felt that way."

Quistin took a step closer. "Just because you can doesn't mean you should."

Haley looked at him. And for the first time in a long time, she couldn't think of anything, nothing came to mind. She couldn't think of what she wanted to say. She couldn't think of what she wanted to do. She couldn't move. She couldn't blink. She looked at her mother. There was genuine sincerity in her eyes. There was kindness on her face. Haley had never seen that emotion on her mother's face before.

"Just because you can doesn't mean that you should," Quistin whispered again.

She trembled slightly. And she dropped the pistol on the floor.

Her mother rushed to her, cradling her daughter in her arms in a way she hadn't done since she was a baby. She apologized again and again as Haley cried. And Quistin backed away. He had come to say what he wanted to say. Without a word, he left the room and disappeared suddenly into the wind.

* * *

The door closed behind the well dressed man. With a solemn face and concerned eyes, he approached Haley's mother and father. They asked him questions about her emotional well being. He told them his professional opinion. They asked him questions about how to deal with the situation and he told them that Haley was in a vulnerable position. She would need help. The Psychiatrist needed time and so did she, but her mother and father would have their roles in the healing process.

* * *

Haley sat in her room. Just outside of her door, her parents talked. She could not hear what they were saying nor did she care. There was not a lot that she cared about at that moment. Haley was beginning to feel happy again. The window frame provided support as her arms floated carelessly above the world. She welcomed the refreshing air of spring time. The warming glow of the sun and the openness of the blue sky. She looked up at it in wonderment. It was even more beautiful than she hoped it would be. Not a cloud in the sky, just the lustrous blue.

She loved looking at it from her open window.

Haley's gaze fell upon a lone boy who had suddenly appeared at the base of the tree in her backyard. He wore a newly tailored black suit, a new white shirt, ironed and pressed, with a narrow black tie slipped underneath the well arranged jacket. Her lips curled up and she waved to him. He smiled and waved back.

"What are you doing here?" she asked inquisitively.

He stuffed his hands into the suit pockets. "Look on your desk."

She did. A folded piece of paper sat on top just waiting to be opened and read. Leaving the windowsill, Haley picked it up. She glanced back into the backyard but he was no longer there. Delicately she viewed the letter and read its contents.

Dear Haley,

Thank you. I know that probably doesn't make sense right now but keep reading and I'm sure it will by the end. There's so much that I want to tell you, Haley, there's so much that I want to say, but really, what can I say? I never thought I'd be telling you this. I guess I've written this letter because it's easier to put it all down in writing than it is for me to say it to you personally.

The first time time you met me I was wandering alone and I didn't care about anything. I had gone through a large majority of my life by myself and I was fine with that. The first time I met you I saw a girl who was extraordinarily intriguing. Here was someone who had, by what I could only assume, a very privileged life, something I previously had. And when I looked at you, I didn't see happiness, I didn't see thankfulness. There was a longing for something else. And in the beginning, I wanted to know why. It was obvious that you were restricted by your parents and the "rules of society". That much was certain. But what I didn't know was if it was a chosen way of life or if you didn't know any better. In the beginning, I wanted to know if you were like me: tired of the anxiety of high society. In the beginning, I showed you a world of boundless imagination. A world where anything was possible because, for me, anything is possible.

I don't know when it happened, but I realized something the more time I spent with you. The more I showed you of my world, the more you showed me of yours. And I don't mean the world of prestige, of high society. I mean: You. I want you to know that I think you are amazing. I think you're beautiful. You may not think so but you are. Believe it. There are so many things that I can think of that make you that way. I like the way you'll push a lock of hair behind your ear when you're flushed or concerned. I like how you'll wrinkle your nose when you laugh. And I know this sounds weird, but I really like making you happy. It doesn't really matter if you feel the same way or not because, Haley, you are the first person I truly care about.

But there was something that I never seemed to understand about you. There was a constant need to follow rules. Whether they were rules set by your parents, by society, or even yourself, you needed to follow them. No matter how much freedom I showed you, no matter how much was possible, there was still the need for a law in your life, and I couldn't understand that until I saw you in your father's office with a pistol in your hand. I don't think I've ever held my breath for so long before. Seeing you like that scared me. Seeing you like that hurt me. It was in that moment when I realized why you had that need to follow rules: without rules there would be chaos. I couldn't see that before because I was the only one who didn't follow them. I never took the time to consider that they were a protection, like from taking a life. And what you told me in the city made sense: Just because I have the ability to do something doesn't make it right. It doesn't mean I should.

Haley, the first time you met me I didn't have a direction in my life. But now I do. And I have you to thank. I feel like I'm meant for something more. I have an ability that no one else has. Helping you made me realize that this isn't something that should be wasted. Helping you made me realize that there are people out there, people in the world, that need saving. So I thank you, Haley, for giving me direction. I thank you for showing me what it means to care for someone else. This is just the beginning. I don't know exactly what I'm looking for but I guess that's for you to know and me to find out, right? All I know is that I know what I want to do now: save people. And I promise you that I will do everything in my power to do just that.

I wanted to let you know.

Love,

Quistin

PS. My real name is James.

Haley finished the letter, a smile hidden in the corner of her face. She whispered his name and looked outside through the open window, towards the bright blue sky, where freedom existed, where anything is possible.

"You're welcome, Quistin," she whispered.

* * *

**Three Months Later...**

Haley walked into class. A smile on her face. A laugh at the tip of her tongue. Her friends said their good-byes; they had different classes to attend. Briskly, she made her way to her seat. She sat down, folded her hands, and waited for the instructor to begin the day's lesson. Some students had their "Hey Haley" and "Hello's" to give and she politely responded to them. She made a mental note that her mother would be picking her up from school that day. Haley actually looked forward to it.

Glancing at the doorway, she noticed Thomas as he walked in. Their eyes met. He waved. She waved back. And when he took his seat next to Haley, she was able to breath. She was able to collect her thoughts.

"Hi," she said.

"Hi," he said back.

**The End.**


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